Fujitsu ScanSnap vs. All-In-One Flatbeds – Which is better?
November 18, 2008
Often when there is a review or article about the Fujitsu ScanSnap, there are commenters saying that they already have a multifunction all-in-one or flatbed scanner, so why would they need to pay for something that just scans?
I’ve decided to outline some of the pros and cons of each.
Multifunction All-In-One/Flatbed
- Often cheaper – You can usually find a multifunction or flatbed scanner for much less money than a ScanSnap
- Can scan books/3D Objects – Since it’s flatbed, if you can put it on the scanner you can scan it. The ScanSnap can only scan flat things
- TWAIN compatible – Most of these scanners are TWAIN compatible, which the ScanSnap is not. This means you can initiate the scan from other applications
- Manual unless you have a document feeder type – Many flatbed scanners do not have a document feeder, or even if they do you have to manually flip the paper over to scan both sides.
- Flat – Because the ScanSnap’s paper path is not 100% straight, if you are scanning photos etc. it may be better to do it on a flatbed
Fujitsu ScanSnap
- Scans both pages at same time – Don’t underestimate the usefulness of this. When you have a lot of paper to go through, having to do just one pass and bring in both sides at once can be a huge time-saver
- Discards blank pages – When you are doing double-sided scanning, having it discard blank pages automatically is both a time and a space saver
- Handles different size paper – With some flatbed/multifunctions, in the rare case where they have a document feeder, you have to have all the paper the same size when you feed in a stack. The ScanSnap will handle a stack of different sized pages no problem.
- Smaller footprint – Depending on whether you get the desktop model like the S1500 or a portable one S300, it is 1/3 or more smaller than a flatbed
- Portable versions can power from USB – If you have the S300 or S300M, you can run it off the USB instead of plugging it into the wall. This can be handy if you need to be portable or want to scan somewhere where a plug isn’t handy
- Incredibly easy to use with 1 button – Again, don’t underestimate the usefulness here. If something is not simple you (or at least I) won’t do it on a regular basis. Throwing the paper in and hitting a button is as simple as it gets.
So which is better, a ScanSnap or an all-in-one?
Like most things, it depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to scan lots of books or photos, a flatbed is probably a better choice. Something like the Canon MX850 is probably good, because it at least has a document feeder for those times you do want to scan some paper.
However, if you are wanting to scan documents on a regular basis, my personal opinion is that a Fujitsu ScanSnap is the way to go. The speed, ease of use, and included software will make a big difference.
Have I forgotten any pros and cons for either? Leave a comment and let us know.
What Is Up With The Green Checkmarks?
November 10, 2008
We all know that staying up to date with software is generally important, but sometimes it can have unexpected side effects.
Recently, a whole bunch of people started getting green checkmarks beside their document icons. For example, if you had a Word document, when you looked at it in Windows Explorer there would be a green checkmark on the icon.
Support forums flooded with questions- What is going on? Do I have a virus? How do I get rid of it? What is up with the green checkmarks?!
Well, it turns out that the culprit is one of our favorite backup utilities, Mozy.
An update was released that added a feature (annoying to some), where there is a red exclamation point beside the icon of a file if it needs to be backed up, which changes to a green checkmark once the operation is successful.
I can see the reason for doing this, but if you want to get rid of it, here is what you need to do:
- Click on the Mozy icon in the system tray (the lower right corner of your screen)
- Choose Configure
- Go to the Options tab
- Check “Disable icon overlays in Windows Explorer”
- Hit Save
There you go, check marks should be gone.
Carbonite CEO and I Join The Idiot Club
November 4, 2008
Dave Friend, the CEO of Carbonite, wrote a blog post the other day about his experience actually using his product.
According to a recently released survey by Compuware, most data loss is attributable to either user negligence or malice. Only 1% of data loss is due to hackers. I loved the headline on this story: “3/4 idiots, 1/4 bitterness.”
I have to confess to being part of the “idiot” crowd. Three weeks ago I left my laptop sitting on my seat when I got off the train in New York. I remembered it just in time to see my train, with laptop still aboard, disappearing down the track. Except for occasionally recovering individual files that I accidentally delete or overwrite, I haven’t actually had a PC disaster since starting Carbonite 3 years ago. So, aside from the pain of having to buy a new laptop, it was fun to use my own product to get everything back. I was really proud of how well it worked.
Something similar happened to me a few weeks ago. I was at the Vancouver airport and took the shuttle bus to the parking lot. I went up to the front of the bus to tell the driver where I was parked and chatted with him a bit. When we stopped, I jumped off and waved goodbye.
It was then that I realized that I had left my backpack with my MacBook Pro (aka my third child) and my car keys (!) on the bus. I turned around and started running back, but luckily he was still sitting there and I was able to get my bag back.
When we think about backing up our files, we always think about hard drives failing or fire or theft, but you also have to remember the idiot factor. I sure do now.
What To Do When ScanSnap Manager Has Grayed Out Profile Options
November 1, 2008
One of the most efficient ways to use ScanSnap Manager is to set up different Profiles for different scanning scenarios.
For example, in my ScanSnap workflow series I talk about how I set up four different Profiles.
One problem that a lot of people run into (and I have received questions on), is what to do when you can’t get to the Profile options in ScanSnap Manager. What do you do when those options are grayed out?
It’s quite simple. Fujitsu decided to enable the Quick Menu by default, and that is what is messing you up. Here is what you do.
- Right click on the ScanSnap Manager icon in the system tray (Windows) or the dock (Mac)
- You will probably find that “Use Quick Menu” is checked.
- Click on that option to uncheck it, and then your profile settings should be enabled.
That should do it!
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