scanners for the Mac

[ChairmanAgnostic]

I've had flat scanners (slow, cumbersome, did not translate into language well), and some all-in-one printers/faxes/scanners. For the last year, I have been trying to go paperless (and succeeding about 75% of the time) and realized that a dedicated scanner was a must, especially for large documents.

Fujitsu S1500 works great. Never had a problem talking to my mac. The very few jams I get were usually caused by a staple I missed. About 1 in 50 scans, it eats several sheets at a time, and always, the problem is one particular firm that sends all their stuff on really cheap, shiny, and slippery paper. If I bend and mutilate the pages a bit, I usually solve the problem. For everything else, even thick bond, no problems at all.

The Brother 9320 all in the family scanner also takes multiple pages. It scans just fine, but not as fast or as clearly as the Fujitsu.

Canon has a couple of nice models, but their portable does not compare to Fujistu's.
Actually, for portable scanning, I keep forgetting that the best machine is already in my hands - the iPad. Scanning with the iPad is easy, fast, and I can even email the results to my office computer.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Talk to me, please, abut scanning with your iPad.

Do you mean just taking pictures? Or actual scanning?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. Ah, come to think of it, every time I scan with the iPad,

I take out my iPHone and scan with that. Always comes out with a great image. The iPad version reminds me of when I wear glasses not to my prescription.

with iPhone, Scanner Pro works nicely. You get to resize the image, especially if you shot it at an angle, and the image comes out looking like normal print.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. My issue with any scanner on a Mac is initial file size.

Every scan from my bother all-in-one is massive - 8, 10, 12 or more megs. I have to open them in Acrobat and save as "Reduced Size PDF". When i do, they get down to under a meg and oftentimes a few hundred K. I can't figure out how to change the default scan size.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. Yeah, that is why the Fujistu is so nice. You set the preference, and bingo

you keep it. For the price, the Fujistu provides the best result I have seen.

[REP]

6. Are you using Image Capture or the scanner's software?

Image Capture gives you those options without having to open another application. Works with any scanner.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. I have a Brother all in one. I am scanning from the doc feeder and front controls

So I guess I am using the brother software.

To be honest, I don't know. I use the touchscreen on the brother to select function (scan) and then destination (any of the macs on our network) and then tell it start and then tell it to scan in color or BW.

A little buzzing, a little cogitating, a little waiting, and it shows up in a folder on my desktop.

[REP]

8. Use ImageCapture from your desktop

Open, select Scanner. Select dpi, etc. No need to use Brother's software

[NV Whino]

3. Yes, please talk about scanning on the iPad

I bought a scanning ap and all it does is take shabby photos.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. what app did you buy?

[NV Whino]

11. Jotnot Pro

There was inadequate description on the store page. No instructions either.

[northoftheborder]

9. Scanning with the iPad

Scanning is the same as making a photograph? I made some photographs recently of some paper work, and it was very difficult lining up the document with the camera which is on the corner of the IPad.

Does anyone have experience with the Neat Desk? Advertised constantly on TV. As advertised, it scans, then goes into files on your computer. I started to get one, but found many negative reviews online; and it is expensive. Guy at the Apple Store said his experience with it was good. So don't know. Still want it, need to reduce paper.