Results are impressive, but you can tell that it’s not a proper A3 scan due to the stitching line. When scanned, the S1500 automatically stitches the two (front and back) images together to recreate the ‘full’ A3 image. A3 pages are folded and placed in the carrier sheet. Using the supplied carrier sheet provides A3 scanning capability. Connectivity comes by way of USB 2.0 only, so networking is out of the window.
Additional S1500 features include dual 600dpi color CCD optical scanning array, automatic colour and greyscale detection, automatic blank page detection and deletion, automatic paper size detection, automatic image de-skew, business card scanning, and an automatic document-feed cover. The resulting scans can be stored locally, on a network, or within an Internet-based storage service such Microsoft Office Live or Apple’s iDisk.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop files within ScanSnap Organiser software to convert scans into editable Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2003 documents.
The S1500 can also scan information directly into either Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2003 using OCR (optical character recognition). The ScanSnap also incorporates a 50-page ADF (automatic document feeder) and automatic duplex capability.
At the same time, new paper feed detection, which is based on ultrasonic technology, senses multi-feeds and provides you with an additional layer of security in avoiding lost images. With the simple push of a dedicated Scan button on the front of the scanner, the S1500 goes to work transforming stacks of paper into digital images (PDFs or JPEGs) automatically, selecting the page size, the page orientation, colour setting and whether it’s a double-sided or single-sided scan. For starters, it allows you to scan a variety of documents without having to adjust scanner settings. The ScanSnap S1500 makes scanning easier and more intuitive. No matter how small your working area, you should be able to accommodate the S1500. Undoubtedly the biggest selling point of the S1500 is its new sleek design, which not only looks fantastic in its silver-and-black finish, but has a footprint that is roughly one third the size of a flatbed scanner.
The S1500 comes with Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard bundled in, which makes it easy not only to scan to searchable PDF files, but also to collaborate with others on scanned documents such as forms. Fujitsu has also reworked the software interface, streamlining the document management process. And for those who rely on business card scanning to keep up with all the contacts, the S1500 adds enhanced data handling features to card scanning. It also detects when two sheets have managed to work their way into the paper feed at once, preventing jams and missed scans. But this fairly small-footed scanner adds intelligent resolution selection, taking the end-user guesswork out of picking the right resolution for each document. Similar to many ScanSnaps of yesteryear, the S1500 (from £335/$418) offers one-button scanning, a feature we’ve all come to appreciate and expect. The ScanSnap S1500 (S1500M for Mac) is a sheet-fed A4 scanner that boasts a host of new document handling features to help users get more organised with fewer hassles. Fujitsu has learned that productivity and efficiency is of paramount importance to scanner users, which is why the newest ScanSnap underscores productivity without requiring excessive time to process documents. Since the launch of the first ScanSnap device 6 years ago, Fujitsu has rolled out multiple generations, each with new features and improved performance.