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You can’t scan a page of a book with a sheetfed portable scanner. The advantage is that you can scan items like books or basically anything that is flat. Handheld scanners like the Magic Wand are waved over a document or photo to create the scanned image.
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There is one important distinction to make when talking about portable scanners and that is the method of scanning. Be sure you think through what you want to scan before choosing the type of portable scanner to buy. The feeder type mobile scanners won’t work in those cases but are better suited for standard size documents, receipts and business cards.
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A portable scanner should also contain an SD card for storing your scans until you can get back to your computer to download if you plan to travel with it.Ī handheld wand scanner like the VuPoint Magic Wand is key for scanning books or magazines. The smallest models generally run off batteries which is convenient. The important thing to consider with mobile scanners is power and capture. Or you can take it with you to your next family reunion and scan old photos from Grandma’s photo album. These little gadgets can save a lot of time by letting you scan pages from a book at the library or scan historical documents at the county archives for a genealogy project. For more detailed information, read our Brother DS-620 Scanner Review.Īs someone who has spent more than their fair share taking notes and making copies at the library, I think a portable scanner is pretty cool. While primarily a document scanner it can also be used for scanning photos and receipts. This bestselling mobile scanner from Brother has been popular for the last few years. They are also great for the person who has hundreds of old photos to archive but doesn’t have the room for a full-size scanner. Portable scanners make a great gift idea for the business traveler, college student and the family genealogist. Some now have bluetooth capabilities for a completely wireless transfer. Some can be run with batteries and almost all are utilized without a computer. The best mobile scanners are not only compact but were also designed for on the go. These small or handheld scanners can keep track of business cards, scan receipts, or be used for scanning library references. If you travel for business or do a lot of library research you may find a portable scanner indispensable.
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