FUJITSU ScanSnap ix500 ~ A Document & Photo Scanner….
©
2018 BOB SKIDMORE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
BOB SKIDMORE
CORRESPONDENT
Scanners have been around since the invention of the PC and Macintosh
computers in the early eighties. The most common design is what’s referred to
as a flatbed. It gets its name from the design that emulates a rectangular flat
box. Certainly flatbeds have served us well, but newer designs offer distinct
advantages for many routine-scanning tasks.
The FUJITSU ScanSnap ix500 is one of many
compact, multi-purpose scanners on the market that interfaces with MAC or
Windows platforms. You’ve probably seen it, or similar models used at front
desks in various offices you visit. Its compact design permits it to be neatly
positioned on a desk, or small workspace and with a couple of quick flips
becomes active. It can be hard-wired via a USB connection, or used with its
built-in wi-fi connection that permits scanning directly to an iOS, Android or
Kindle Fire mobile devices, without even turning on the computer.
FUJITSU ScanSnap ix500 Unopened
When opened by the two-step process it activates itself and
alerts the computer that a document(s) are about to be scanned. It has the
ability to scan in either a pdf or up to a 600dpi JPEG format, or both simultaneously.
This must be selected in the settings folder prior to scanning. Unless you
change this setting all future scans will be scanned in the same format(s). Opening
the scanner, adjusting the paper guide to accommodate the original document
size and placing the document(s) in the document tray followed by depressing
the blue SCAN button completes the scanning process. Once the scanning is
complete a QUICK MENU box will appear
on your computer screen asking where you wish to send the scan and it’s customizable
too. Once that’s selected the scanning process is complete having taken
literally seconds. (25 double sided pages per minute with a 50-page automatic
feeder capability)
Graphic below shows Quick
Menu for the Windows platform
(TIP: The angled documents tray
adjusts for anything from 8.5x11” documents to business card and receipt sizes.
The ix500 can automatically
skip blank pages, detect size, orientation, color, incorporates bleed-thru
correction and optimizes contrast.)
The Fujitsu ix500
is a feature-packed workhorse that’s well worth the investment! It includes ScanSnap Receipt & CardMinder software
that allows you to easily scan, save and extract payment information from your
receipts. It categorizes expenses through relevant keywords, tallies up totals
within the software application, and exports relevant information into Excel.
CardMinder collects and manages business card contacts allowing you to extract
relevant information into editable fields, add notes or reference information by
your contact, and export data into external applications such as Outlook and
Salesforce. It does a great job scanning photos too and runs circles around its
NEAT competitor. Neat, by the way, no longer supports the stand-alone storage
concept. They’ve replaced it with their own mandatory cloud-based server at a costly
monthly fee. Yes, it’s the only way it will work. Sad when a company thinks more about a
revenue stream than to support its loyal customer base. That’s certainly not Fujitsu’s philosophy based on what I’ve
experienced!
(NOTE: This article was based on using the MAC platform and a USB hard wire
connection.)
MSRP: $495.00
GADGETEER’s RATING: ★★★★★
For more information go to:
Graphic credits: Google Images & Manufacturer
Bob Skidmore is a freelance
writer, who may be contacted at bob.thegadgeteer.skidmore@gmail.com, or
followed at twitter.com/bskidmore for the
latest gadget industry news. He does not represent, or endorse any of the
products he reviews and his opinions are solely his points of view and not
those of the manufacturer, or any legal resource. The manufacturer generally
supplies products and press releases at no cost for the articles and no other
compensation is received. THE GADGETEER is highly selective as to products he
feels worthy of review so as not to waste the reader’s time, thus the reason
for many superior ratings.
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