[SOLVED] Document Scanner Purchase Advice

[Mrcreosote]

JOB: Archiving w/OCR Small Project

Need to purchase something low cost for home and closing down a small research project.

Editorial reviews are useless since they are all over the place for identical models - only way to choose other than "roll the dice" is to get some advice on real world usage?

One major requirement is OCR performance: I'm getting the impression it's mostly dependent on the bundled software. You real a review that is great, they change the bundle, subsequent reviews are lack luster. A few years ago, Adobe Acrobat was usually included - now Nuance is typical. And as far as a used scanner, while I always buy used to save money, one without the software is hardly worth the price they bring.

Candidates are

• Fujitsu ix500 $369 used w/software
• Brother ADS-2700W $309
• Epson ES-400 $249

Thanks in advance,
Tom

ALSO, are there any forums that specialize in scanning? I've looked for days and haven't found any.

 

[Ralston18]

Not sure about the quantitative meaning of "small research project" and the amount of scanning that needs to be done.

That said, consider a multi-function printer that includes scanning capabilities.

You may have more product choices (hardware & software) and, of course, you will have something more useful per se than a dedicated scanner just sitting about when the job is finished.

And wired connectivity is preferable in terms of performance and reliability. A multi-function printer could be connected via USB cable or placed on the wired network.

Just some thoughts on the matter....

 

[jsmithepa]

U may want to ask librarians, wonder where do they hang out.

For once-off, maybe outsource the job?

 

[hang-the-9]

I worked on a document project at a hospital, all the scanners were Fujitsus, don't remember the model but very similar or the same as the one you listed. Was pretty quick to scan things.

We used a combination of the stock Omnipage and Paperport software and I have not heard of any issues with those.

 

[jonsmith9988]

Fujitsus are widely regarded as the best document scanners and are priced accordingly. If the used Fujitsu is lightly used, it may be a good deal. I haven't personally used Fujitsus though. I've used Brothers, Epsons, and Canons. The biggest differentiator is the included software. I don't like Brother. Epson is OK. Canon is my favorite. We do a moderate amount of document scanning and like the Canon DR-C225 II for ~ $335. I haven't compared the OCR performance between them, but it's my understanding that the Canon is a strong performer.