PC Magazine - 2009 11.pdf - Libertad Zero

FIRST looks businessFujitsu ScanSnap S1500$495 directL l l l mPROS Document and business-card scanner.Rated at 20 pages per minute (ppm), or 40images per minute (ipm) for both sides.Cons Lack of a standard driver means youcan’t give a scan command from within aprogram.Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500ZippyDocument ScannerFujitsu has done a great job ofturning out one impressivescanner after another, ratchetingup performance and featuresover the years. The S1500fits firmly in that tradition, with faster speedand much improved software than the previous-generationS500. I can even make astrong argument that it’s the best desktopdocument scanner in its price class. Unfortunately,it falls just one step short of beingan Editors’ Choice.The S1500’s good looks nicely complementan executive office decor, with its silverand black color scheme and a designthat’s as sleek as any document scannerI’ve seen. The footprint is a mere 6.2 by11.5 inches (WD), and you have the choicebetween opening the front output tray ornot. The S1500 offers roughly a 10 percentboost in speed from the last-generationScanSnap, to 20 pages per minute (ppm)or 40 images per minute (ipm) when scanningin duplex mode (both sides of the pageat once). It shares the same 600 pixel perinch (ppi) optical resolution, which is morethan enough for document scanning, andthe same 50-page capacity for its automaticdocument feeder (ADF). Thoughthe ScanSnap software has a number ofimprovements over the previous version, ituses the Microsoft Office 2007 “ribbon” layout(meaning you’ll love or hate it, dependingon how you feel about the ribbon). Also,you must use the software to scan insteadof choosing another program and scanningusing a standard driver.Though I feel the driver issue is significant,I still recommend the S1500. Simply put, itis hard to find a better choice at this price.—M. David Stone>>CLICK HERE FOR MORENOVEMBER 2009 PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION 41