The differences between desktop and tablet PCs are getting closer and thanks to peripherials and add-on’s many tablets can do almost all the tasks a desktop can do these days. Isn’t it better to do almost all the jobs with only one or perhaps two tools rather than a whole office full? We say yes.
Gadget makers Brookstone is now offering a portable scanner for the iPad tablet. Their device is known as the iConvert Scanner for iPad and is available direct from the retailer and from Amazon for $149.99.
Functional Overview
Paper is out and electronic copies of documents are in. Not only are they more environmentally friendly than paper but electronic documents are also more mobile than their paper counterparts.
Now iPad users can preserve their documents as JPEG files just like they save pictures on their tablet. This is the safest and quickest way to scan documents so that they can instantly get those whenever they need it. Even if the papers are of high-resolution, the iPad can save it without any hassle.
With the iConvert Scanner, documents and photos can be scanned at a respectible 300 dpi. Cleaning and calibration of the scanner is done with relative ease with built-in functions to perform these duties. Paper of between 2” and 8.5” can be scanned using the adjustable feeder.
The Pros
In a word – portability. The iConvert scanner is quite portable and it can easily travel right along with the iPad device. The device is also fairly quick for its market segment and can scan through a good amount of documents in a relatively short amount of time.
The Cons
The iConvert doesn’t offer an option to save documents as PDF as of this review. There’s also no way we found to allow the user to specifiy the save location such as a particular folder or DropBox, for example. Scanning documents that aren’t in pristine condition or that have tattered or torn edges can be a challenge as well. Lastly, a special dongle is required to charge the iPad and use the scanner at the same time due to iPad’s one port input.
The Verdict
Despite a few negatives common to other scanners and tablet peripherials, the iConvert Scanner can be a really useful add-on for iPad users. At just under $150, it is a must for traveling professionals working in a paper document-heavy environment that wish to convert those to electronic copies quickly and easily.
