I get asked this question quite a bit: “What is the difference between the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 and the ScanSnap S1500 series?”, and then the logical followup: “Which should I buy?”.
I decided to put together this blog post for me to point people to, so here is a rundown of the differences between the ScanSnap models.
Speed
- S1500/S1500M: Up to 20 pages per minute
- S1300: Up to 8 pages per minute
Clearly the S1500 series has the edge here. If you are doing a large amount of scanning, you will probably want to go with the S1500 or S1500M.
Capacity
- S1500/S1500M: Maximum 50 sheets
- S1300: Maximum 10 sheets
Again, the S1500 is a pretty clear winner. If you are regularly scanning more than 10 sheets at a time, you will probably want to pick up the S1500 or S1500M. Otherwise, the limited capacity of the S1300 is going to get pretty annoying.
Size/Weight
- S1500/S1500M: 11.5 x 6.3 x 6.2 in. (292 x 159 x 158 mm). 6.62 lb (3.0 kg).
- S1300: 11.18 in. x 3.90 in. x 3.03 in. (284mm x 99mm x 77mm). 3.08 lb. (1.4kg).
Both versions of the ScanSnap are compact, and I am not sure that this category has a “winner” per se, but the S1300 is quite a bit smaller and lighter than the S1500 series.
Operating System
The S1500 is designed for Microsoft Windows. However, it does include Mac OSX drivers and can be used to scan on a Mac. It does not include the extra software (including OCR software) for Mac.
The S1500M is designed for Mac OSX. However, it does include Windows drivers and can be used to scan on a PC. It does not include the extra software (including OCR software) for Windows.
Fujitsu is calling the S1300 their first “hybrid scanner”. It is designed to be used both on Windows and the Mac, and comes with all the software for both.
Included Software
The ScanSnap S1500 includes the following software:
- ScanSnap Organizer
- Adobe Acrobat 9 for Windows
- CardMinder 4.0
- ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap
The ScanSnap S1500M includes the following software:
- Adobe Acrobat 8 for Mac
- CardIris 3.6
- ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap
The ScanSnap S1300 includes the following software:
- ScanSnap Organizer (Windows only)
- CardMinder 4.1 (Windows only)
- ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap (Windows and Mac)
- CardIris 3.6 (Mac only)
If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice right off the bat that the S1300 does not include Adobe Acrobat. That may or may not make the price difference worth it to you.
Mobility
While I wouldn’t call the S1500 or S1500M a big scanner, it is clearly not as mobile as the S1300.
Aside from size and weight, the ScanSnap S1300 has the ability to run off a USB port’s power, so you theoretically don’t even need to take your power adapter with you.
Color
Come on, don’t pretend that the look of your peripheral isn’t important.
The ScanSnap S1500 has a black and silver look, while the S1500M is a more Mac-y white and grey.
With the release of the hybrid S1300, Fujitsu decided to go with the S1500’s color scheme. Bye bye white!
Of course, there is always the lacquer option too.
Other Goodies
The ScanSnap S1500 and S1500M come with a carrier sheet, so you can more easily scan odd-sized paper.
So Which Is Better?
I bet you know what I am going to say here: It depends!
If you have a large and/or regular volume of paper, I strongly urge you to go for the ScanSnap S1500 or the ScanSnap S1500M. The extra speed and paper capacity will save you lots of time.
If you have a need to be mobile, or if you do only a small amount of scanning, you can probably get away with the ScanSnap S1300.
The right model of ScanSnap for you really depends on your needs. As Apu said to Mr. Burns, “Just look into your heart, and you will find the answer.”