Document scanner that respects limited desktop space

Question

I have been using an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier that meets most of my needs. I just bought color catridges for it.

But the big detraction to this device is that it does not have an automatic document feeder for the scanner. It also cannot scan both sides of the document. Furthermore, it takes about 45 seconds to scan a single page of text.

Consequently, my pile of "to scan" has grown to well over 100 pages.

I'm tempted to pick up a dedicated sheet-fed document scanner, but I don't have the space to add another sizeable device.

So I'm primarily looking at two options (and am open to other possibilities):

1. Replace the current all-in-one with an inexpensive all-in-one that includes a sheet feeder and can perform double-sided scans.
2. Keep the current all-in-one and add a hand-held document scanner that can scan a text document quickly (let's say 10 seconds per page).

I scan 95% of documents in monochrome, 4% in color, and 1% in invisible ink that only the cat can see.

I'm looking to spend as little as possible. I rarely print anything: 1-2 pages per day, at most. I do like the ability to print in color. I generally print from Windows. Fax functionality is nice, but definitely not required.

Can you recommend hardware to satisfy either option (above), or recommend a third option?

Answer 1

I am going to give three options here. I am not sure if they will hit the budget you are looking for but they are all GREAT scanners. I personally own the IX500 and it is the best scanner I have ever owned. This includes being better than commercial scanners that cost upwards of $5000.

Fujitsu iX500 @ Amazon $415.93

Excellent scanner that includes color scanning, 50 page ADF and duplex. The scanner is fast and scans 25 double sided pages per minute. The device also has wireless capability. The scanner is super small not much larger than a loaf of bread when closed up.

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i @ Amazon $241.07

This scanner only does 12 double sided pages per minute but it can be powered purely off of USB.

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX100 @ Amazon $193.00

This is the lease expensive of the scanners and does not have an ADF. It is still a good scanner and does offer wireless connectivity. It weights less than half a kilo and is battery powered for maximum portability. The docs say it can scan 260 pages on a single charge.

Please note that I am very biased towards this brand of scanner since I have had such an excellent experience with them. I have scanned over 40,000 Pages on my iX500. Please make your own decision but I think you will find the reviews you can find on the internet will also follow my feelings on the product.

Answer 2

Maybe a mobile document scanner would work for you. Something like the Canon imageFORMULA P-208II

It is small, has duplex functionality (scans both sides at once), and scans 8 pages per minute (7.5 seconds per page). I don't know your budget, but a little bit over 100 £/130 € doesn't seem that bad.

I have no experience with this scanner, but a rating 4.3 of 5 on amazon seams quite good.

Here are some other similar scanners