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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/11584
REVIEW
FUJITSU SCANSNAP S1300 >A GREAT SCANNER WORDS BY KEONI CHAVEZ
There is a decent chance that your last exposure to a scanner was such that all you remember is that it was large, bulky, and made an ominous hum as it operated. The bad news: The hum is still there. The good news, they’re no longer large and bulky. Indeed, scanners have evolved to embrace a new paradigm: the portable scanner. These devices are small enough to tuck into a laptop bag for those on the go who still need to make and send digital copies of their important documents. And what’s even better news is that Fujitsu has made a great one.
First, the basics: The ScanSnap S1300 features an easy set up, right out of the box: simply plug it into your computer’s USB port, fire up the included software, and you’re ready to go; the S1300 may draw power from either the USB port or a standard AC outlet. The device’s document feeder can hold up to 10 full- sized pages, eight of which it will go through in about a minute. It can handle simplex (single side) and duplex (both sides) scanning with color, gray, or black and white options. The offered customizations are pared down, which is a plus when considering the market, as people who need the speed of a portable scanner are unlikely to be concerned with exotic resolutions or color depths. Instead, your choices range from 150 dpi (dots per inch) in color and 300 dpi in black and
white, up to 600 dpi color and 1200 dpi black and white.
What’s great about the S1300, however, are its post-scan options. In place of the typical name-and-dump-to-folder process, the user is presented with a number of handy destinations. One may scan to an e-mail client for a quick note to a co- worker. A scan may also be dropped directly into Microsoft Word or Excel for inclusion in whatever project currently needs it. Scans may also be sent right to a printer, turning your Mac setup into a copy shop for quick duplication needs. The user may also scan to Cardiris, the built-in business card creation software, as well as opening up iPhoto where your scan may be metatagged and filed away.
Another really cool feature is the ability to create a searchable PDF from a scan using the provided settings, or even setting up particular words and phrases before the scan by using a highlighter on a black and white document. This is an incredible time-saver for those reviewing sensitive documents on the go.
The S1300 is available for both Mac and PC, and if I have a quibble, it’s that the PC version offers the ability to send a scan to PowerPoint, which would seem to be an obvious application to make use of a scanner’s output. Obviously, it’s not a deal-breaker, but it might be notable for
editors. In a related note, I’d have liked the option to specify a post-scan application to open; it would have been nice to be able to scan directly into Photoshop, for example.
Fujitsu’s ScanSnap S1300 is everything you need a portable scanner to be. It’s fast, it’s versatile, and it’s reasonably priced. Although it’s billed as a scanner for travelers, it fits right into a tableau where the user needs to maximize an already small computing space. I’ll even take back my comment about the ominous hum; I’ve grown to enjoy it because it means the scan is almost done, and that’s something Fujitsu can be proud of.
Product Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 Made by Fujitsu
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