Compare Prices on Fujitsu PA03360-B055
I have been using this scanner for several months to scan my statements, bills and misc documents at home. I had to stop using my old reliable Visioneer MX scanner because it doesn’t support windows xp. The main reason why I chose this scanner over the cheaper EOX2 model was that this comes with a TWAIN driver. With that driver, I am able integrate scanning with Paperport 9. For home use, I think it is a MUST to use Paperport management software (preferably version 9 over 10 based on other reviews).
The cheaper EOX2 model only supports pdf format, hence you cannot use it easily with Paperport. Although I’ve never done this, it could be possible to scan with EOX2 and then subsequently manage the files with Paperport. However, for long term use, a Paperport supported scanner is the way to go.
The reason why I like Paperport is that I can stack, rotate, and edit scanned images easily; both in pdf format and in proprietary .max format. Note: if pdf is write-protected, then Paperport cannot perform any of these functions.
Scanner Advantages
-Faster than the older Visioneer scanner. Even at 400 dpi duplex mode, it is still faster.
-Duplex mode - now I can scan multiple pages with much less work.
-This scanner is great if all documents are the same size. In other words, it is great for office use since documents are usually letter-sized (no receipts or statements).
-Quality of black/white scanned images is better than my old visioneer scanner. Color is not great and should not be used as photo scanner.
Scanner Disadvantages
-Need to predetermine paper width. This is a major problem because it makes scanning varying sized documents tedious. To alleviate this problem, I basically tape a ruler onto the scanner. Note: paper length can be determined automatically with automatic edge detection. When batch scanning, automatic edge detection will not work when paper lengths differ. So you must disable edge detection and then resize length manually after batch scanning. I also don’t like the paper guides because they’re a little difficult to adjust, but you need them when scanning in batches.
-Only 3 custom paper-width settings
-One annoying thing is that I have to manually close the driver window after scanning. It should do so automatically.
-Even though there are paper guides, it is still difficult to scan images straight. Fortunately, with Paperport I can make rotation adjustments easily.
-Can only scan images up to 14 inches in length. Long receipts need to be done in 2 scans and you must edit them later in Paperport to form a single image. The old visioneer scanners could scan a long receipt w/o any problems.
-Every so often, it does jam, but it is very easy to remove the paper.
Summary
Overall, this scanner scans faster, but ease-of-use sucks. So overall scan time may be the same. Obviously will be faster if all your documents are the same size.
I purchased this scanner only because I wanted to use it with the newer Paperport. I strongly recommend Paperport 9 since you can easily search, stack and edit scanned documents.
Although this is quite expensive, for under $800, this scanner is as good as it gets.
The Fujitsu FI-5110C document scanner has cut down on the time it takes to scan the documents at the office, especially double-sided documents. Great efficiency and speed. A bit expensive for a scanner only, but a relative value for increased productivity.
