![]() ![]() It turned out I needed to install an additional software component in order for SlimScan to convert the files to readable files, and PlanOn suggested I upgrade the software running on the actual scanner as well. The PlanOn software on my laptop would only recognize the files when I renamed them with a JPEG extension. I initially had some trouble transferring files from the scanner to the SlimScam file-management system. The software doesn’t work on Macs, so in order to test it I installed the software on a laptop running Windows 7. PlanOn’s software for the SlimScan, which is installed straight from the device, was confusing at first as well. The first few images I scanned were cut off or missing lines of text as a result of this. I found that with the SlimScan, I had to have a slow, steady hand as I was rolling the device across a file, or the images wouldn’t scan properly. When I removed the bottom portion of the stainless steel device to start scanning, I felt like I might break it. I had to dig my nail into each button to press it down. The SlimScan has five tiny unmarked buttons, and I had to read the instruction manual to figure out which one was the power button, which is never a good sign. It claims to store up to 600 scanned images before you have to dump the files off of it, and its expected battery life is 200 to 300 scans per charge. The SlimScan SS100 is a super-thin, credit-card-sized device that launched last month and currently lists on for $106. I had high hopes for the SlimScan, but it didn’t deliver. ![]() But for high-volume scanning, I wouldn’t rely solely on an app. I was impressed with all of the options packed into the JotNot Pro app, and would continue using a mobile app to scan when I have my phone and no other options. JotNot Pro can also easily convert the saved files into PDFs. I had the option to email the files, print or fax them, open them in compatible apps, such as DropBox, or copy them to DropBox, Evernote, Box and Google Docs. JotNot Pro let me enhance each file before processing it, whether it was a hard-to-read receipt or a file with lighter text and I could also adjust the contrast or add a timestamp to the files. Then it processed the image, and the text in the final file was clear and easy to read. After I snapped a horizontal photo of a business card, the app immediately found the edges of the card and cropped the image. I was at a conference last week, accumulating business cards and receipts, so it was a good opportunity to test the app. I began the scanner tests with JotNot Pro for iPhone, which was updated late last year and costs $1.99. Despite its larger size and $250 price point, the Xerox scanner was my top pick, because of its fast scanning and its wireless connectivity via an Eye-Fi card. The SlimScan scanner’s size was attention-grabbing, but the device and its software were problematic for me. And after five days of testing, it became apparent that the app was great on the go, but I wouldn’t use it to scan tons of files. The JotNot Pro app uses the iPhone’s camera to capture images of documents. I tested three options: The smartphone app JotNot Scanner Pro by MobiTech 3000, PlanOn’s tiny SlimScan SS100 scanner and Xerox’s new wand-shaped Mobile Scanner. This week, I set out to determine whether an app or a pocket-sized scanner with receipt-management software can really do the job of a larger scanner. ![]() Fortunately, there are plenty of portable scanning options out there, ranging from mobile apps to wand-like scanners. So this year I’m getting serious about scanning. I might write about all things digital, but when it comes to receipts and important documents, my record-keeping is analog amateur hour. Every year, come tax season, I curse myself. ![]()
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