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29
Scanners
Mobile scanners are a fast growing segment of the market
in both sales and product choice. Over the page we present
a selection of recent launches, but first we appraise the
impressive Canon imageFORMULA P-215.
Portable scanners
On test:
Canon
imageFORMULA
P-215
Scanning made easy
The scanning market is growing fast as
consumers and businesses digitise paper-
based files for electronic storage and
retrieval. Much of this is occurring at the low end
with rising sales of desktop and portable scanners
like the Canon imageFORMULA P-215.
The P-215 straddles the desktop and portable
markets. It is similar in size and shape to an old-style
carton of 200 cigarettes and weighs about 1kg. In
other words, it is a little unwieldy to lug around on
the off chance that scanning might be required, but
small and light enough to be carried in a laptop bag if
scanning on the move is a core business requirement.
It is also easy to transport between the workplace
and home, making it a useful tool for the large number
of people who spend some of the working week in a
home office, as well as for those who might want to
digitise personal documents such as school reports,
utility bills, bank statements etc. (or add a copying
capability to a single-function printer).
Size apart, the P-215 has two other features
that make it attractive as a portable device: it can
be powered by USB cable, so there is no need for
an external power supply; and scanning software is
built-in.
The P-215 comes with two USB cables: it will
work with just one but is claimed to operate at higher
speeds if both are connected to a computer (even
greater speeds can be achieved by using a power
adapter sold separately). The USB cables are about
1.8 metres in length. This gives you flexibility in the
positioning of the scanner, but using both does create
an untidy workspace. In our tests we found a single
USB cable was neater and not noticeably slower.
Supporting its
inherent portability,
the P-215 has
CaptureOnTouch Lite
software built-in so
it will work straight
from the box. This
removes the need to
load software drivers
prior to operation and
makes it easy to share
the scanner among
multiple users or
locations.
For many, CaptureOnTouch Lite provides all the
functionality they will need, including a choice of file
type (PDF, searchable PDF, PDF/A, TIFF, JPEG, PPTX,
BMP); tools such as zoom and rotate; thumbnail
images that can be deleted or re-ordered; and the
ability to adjust scanner settings, including advanced
options such as changing image brightness and
contrast or removing background colours. Alternatively,
you can just use the P-215’s auto settings.
The full version of CaptureOnTouch software,
which must be installed from a DVD, adds additional
functionality notably the ability to define specific
scanning jobs that can subsequently be activated
with just one click, for example scan-to-email or to a
specific folder or application.
The DVD also contains bundled PaperPort
document management software, the Presto! Bizcard
6 business card scanning solution and connectors for
Google Docs, Evernote and Sharepoint. The P-215
automatically pre-programs workflows for these
applications making it easy to scan documents to the
cloud or straight into the chosen application.
Such ease of use extends to the hardware. The
scanner is turned on and off by opening and closing
the lid and the software loads automatically as soon
as the start button is pressed. The 20-page automatic
document feeder makes it possible to scan batches of
mixed pages in one page and save them as separate
files or a single document, with paper guides from
letter to business card width to ensure that they are
fed straight. There is a separate slot on the front for
scanning rigid plastic cards.
Paper handling and scan speeds are impressive.
The P-215 can take paper up to 128gsm and one
metre in length and card (including business cards) up
to 225gsm. I experienced a few double-feeds and the
scanner sometimes needs a little encouragement to
pick up a sheet, but the ability to re-order thumbnails
of scanned images means that you can re-scan any
pages that were double-fed and put them in the right
place in a document.
The P-215 has obvious appeal for mobile workers
and people who regularly scan documents at their
desktop as part of a defined process (software
development kits allow the scanners to be fully
integrated with customised solutions), but what about
the general user who may want to scan the occasional
letter or receipt?
For many such users, acquisition of a P-215 is not
strictly necessary as they are likely to have access to
the scanning function of an MFP. However, the P-215
is so well designed and its software so easy to use that
given the choice I would always reach for it before
getting up and walking to an MFP. Every office should
have one.
www.canon.co.uk