Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 Instant PDF Sheet-Fed Scanner for PC

I purchased the Fujitsu SnapScan S1500 during Christmas 2009. Over two months, I have scanned over 14,000 pages without problems. The scanner is truly a remarkable productivity tool that I will continue to use to convert my technical library into a searchable PDF library. All in all, the software does perform as the descriptions indicate. The scanner is extremely fast and performs in a very forgiving manner.Although I am using the scanner with a Mac, I purchased the Windows version to get the Adobe Acrobat Pro 9. I run Vista using fusion, so I am able to utilize the Mac platform for most of my business applications and occasionally use Windows, if I really need to. The Mac has had absolutely no problems with the scanner. perhaps over the next several months, I will be able to reclaim 50 yards of bookshelves in my office.The business card scanner software performs as advertised but it is not good enough to populate the Mac "address book" with the requisite information. The resulting data does not have the granularity that the address book looks for. I'm still trying to find software that will allow business card scanning with direct input into the address book. However, having said that I believe the software should work just fine with Microsoft outlook.Note that the software is meant to only scan and "create" a searchable PDF file. The user would need software, such as Preview or Acrobat, to work with the file. There are numerous PDF software packages that can do all kinds of miraculous modifications to the file. If I have time, I like to cut out the articles such that the advertisements are removed and save the articles as a new PDF file. This helps with searching and file size. However, it does take more time.A few points about using the scanner may help new users to avoid a few very minor issues. I like to read magazines and scan the articles that strike me. Most magazines have a gum backing (to hold the pages) which will leave a slight deposit on the scanner's clear plastic scanning area. This is not detrimental to the scanner But after scanning numerous pages, the clear plastic windows should be cleaned. A soft cloth gently applied to the window will clear the gummy substance. Don't be too aggressive as the gummy material will come off and you do not want to smear or scratch the scanning area.Currently, I try to cut the backing off with a knife so that the gummy stuff does impact the scanner. Also, If you want to scan a book, use a table saw to cut off the binding or find a printer that has a "power knife" to slice off the backing.The scanner is extremely forgiving if you forget a staple. Before scanning an old group of papers, be sure to fan the stack to ensure that the pages are not stuck to each other and that staples are not included in the batch. If a staple is missed, you'll definitely recognize the noise as the feeder attempts to pull the stuck pages through. Quickly release the scanners lock mechanism which will open up the "clamshell" scanner design. This is a single button (push button lever) located on the right side of the swing-out portion of the scanner. Opening the mechanism will automatically shut the scan down, relieve the stuck staple (pages) and protects the scanner. The software will ask if you want to continue scanning but usually you need to straighten up the papers, remove any staples or stuck areas and re-start the scan from the beginning. I use an old credit card to "rake" the crumpled paper back into a semi-flat condition. The scanner is very forgiving for less than perfectly flat paper.Sometimes the papers (reports) are bound using a spiral binding. after removing the spiral binding, simply load up the paper and press the scan button. Sometimes the holes may tend to catch on the (scanned) page as it exits the scanner which causes the overall scanned stack to start to spill off the tray. This is not a big deal. Simply remove paper as it begins to misbehave or watch and guide the sheets as they feed through. I usually sit with the scanner as it works since most scams are only a few pages. Often, the pages behave and over 50 can be scanned in one run.Very glossy magazine pages may have to be fed through more carefully. A very large stack of glossy pages (20 - 50) may not feed through very well. Limit the number of pages to five or so. Five pages probably covers most articles.PDF scanning software works quite well. It is very valuable to ensure that the PDF file is searchable. however creating searchable PDF files does take a bit more time. Once you start going to an electronic filing system, you no longer know which notebook or file folder the paper is in. Being able to search the text in the scan is the only way to find your electronic knowledge, regardless of how clever your filing convention may be.

1. Why I needed this product?I was looking for a way to store 10 years worth of receipts, invoices, bills, etc. As many of us do at home or work, we tend to open up the mail and then stack the bills somewhere in the corner to eventually file them. I have been carefully sorting out the 'must have' papers from the 'junk' stuff so that I wouldn't end up on an episode of hoarders or something! But even after all these years I managed to create some piles around the place...until I had enough. Okay, well until the wife started to get on my case. I figured a scanner would do the trick, but I needed one that was extremely efficient and didn't take up too much room...A quick search on Amazon led me to the ScanSnap scanners...2. DeliveryAmazon delivered the scanner in their traditional brown 'happy face' box with air cushions to support the scanner box. The scanner came in a nice sealed gray box from Fujitsu, with cushions, plastic, and red tape to ensure safe delivery of the product. Perfect delivered within a few days as expected.3. SetupThe setup was straight forward...install the software first, then plug in the scanner and then connect the USB cord to your PC. The software install took about 7 minutes for me (Win 7, Ult 64-bit). While that was installing, I carefully peeled the red tape off and took off the excess plastic. The scanner as previously described by others, is about the size of a loaf of bread but unfolds and expands to about the size of a portable laptop printer. The opening is the 'on/off' switch for the scanner. After the software install, I hooked up the USB cable and within a minute the scanner was recognized.....nice!4. The scannerI have a canon MG8220 (I believe) which is all-in-one blah blah blah printer. I truly enjoy the printer but for scanning...I can scan one page at a time which takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute (after naming,correcting, etc). Much too long when you have a pile of papers, two children, and a wife! So, using the S1500 for the first time was quite an experience. I didn't know what to expect. I loaded an invoice I had laying around and within seconds it was scanned...voila! No extra buttons or cropping (will discuss later) or anything extra needed...just scan and you are done. A couple of hours later I was scanning in batches of 2, 6, 14 pages per press of the 'scan' button. The software and how it is used is key if you are to be productive with the scanner...more to follow in the software section...5. SoftwareThe ScanSnap software has an interface that reminds me of MS Office 2010. I actually expected some crazy software with buttons in strange places and options that wouldn't make sense....I'm sure you have seen that before with cheaper scanners!! However, the interface is very simple and straight forward. Basically, you have the main window which has a "cabinet." You can create a "cabinet" for individual categories. I have a cabinet for 'receipts,' 'insurance,' and 'paycheck stubs,' to name a few. Now, I figured out that when you click on a cabinet to highlight it, you can then create a 'folder' for that cabinet. For example, under the cabinet 'receipts' I created folder called '2001' and another '2002.' This is because I'm just starting out but the point is under the cabinet directory of receipts I can now separate the receipts by year folders. If I want to break the folders down further I imagine I could create a specific receipt folder for that year (like shopping or auto repair under the 2001 folder, etc). The point is that the software is very flexible in creating the folders and cabinets you need....the sky is the limit!Under the options category, you can select the scanning options that fit your needs. Need to scan both sides at once, no problem! Need to scan only the front page? no problem! Need to scan in color or B&W...you can do that also...or simply let it scan in auto mode and let the software guess for you. Overall, the picture quality in pdf format is great at any scan resolution. There is some tinkering you have to do, but this thing is fast and that alone makes up for any fine tuning I need to do before I scan in batches. BTW, scanning in batches....want to scan a batch of papers and have multiple pdf pages created? no problem! Want to do the batch as one complete file, that you can do too! On a side note, if a paper is slightly crooked while it is being scanned...don't worry! The page will correct itself!Some reviewers have specific needs and demand more from this device but for me, I was able to rid two years worth of papers..probably a few hundred sheets in about 4 hours....organized, complete, and saved as an electronic file! I have chosen to save the files as timestamped pdf files. While in the main work area of the scanned docs, I can rename them with ease and then move them where I need to....that is, into their proper cabinet. Others may have an easier way, but for me that works just fine. There are other options as well...such as scanning to Word, Excel, or Outlook...but I haven't tried that feature yet!The fact that this little thing cleared out so many papers in one afternoon is amazing! I wish I would have discovered this sooner...would I recommend this product....with two BIG thumbs up!Good Luck....P.S. The scanner was very warm underneath after using it all afternoon...just keep that in mind....

I have an entire filing cabinet worth of papers, many of which I will shred, but most of which I will scan and save as PDF and then shred. I'm going totally digital, and I wanted an automatic feed scanner, because I knew a flatbed could never work, given the sheer volume of paper I need to scan.I bought this Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 based on some other reviews I read elsewhere. It was over $400, but it was supposed to be totally amazing, according to what I had read. In my experience, this has been the case. It can do a stack of papers really fast, like a second or two per sheet. It is double sided, and I find the scans to be of good quality for archiving things like college notes, old magazine articles, copies of your home-buying paperwork (but of course, keep anything embossed or with legal signatures in a fire-proof safe). It can scan business cards, and I even scan credit cards so I know what's in my wallet, should it get lost or stolen. I have found that when the scanner jams, it is very easy to just pop open the top, remove the jammed items, and then restart the scan where it left off, which is very easy to do since the software asks you if you want to continue or quit, and whether you want to discard the prior page that was involved in the jam. I also find the bundled organization software very easy to use. I don't use the business card organizer, but the main PDF organizer is really easy. You can see large thumbnails of everything. You can open a PDF and if you want to add another page to that PDF from a different PDF, you can just copy and paste a page and re-save. Bottom line is that it is fast, makes good scans (and you can adjust the quality to go even higher, but I have not done so), and is easy to recover from errors. It also has a small footprint and is dark silver/gray and black inside, so it matches a sleek office look very nicely.Now a bit about the operating environment. I had been looking to see if this scanner was Linux compatible, since that's the OS I run. Apparently it is not Linux compatible [***see update below***]; that is to say, they do not offer Linux drivers, and I do not know of any. [***please see comment number one to my review***] However, I am running it on my Linux system through VirtualBox, as was recommended by another video reviewer I had seen. (VirtualBox is free software that allows you to run any number of operating systems from within another operating system; so when I run Linux, I can run another OS from within that.) I installed Windows 7 as a virtualization, and the ScanSnap drivers installed just fine within my Windows 7 virtual machine. I plugged in the scanner to my Linux machine, and made sure that VirtualBox was configured to allow the Windows 7 machine to see that USB device. Voila! Now I can scan within Windows with the Windows drivers, which also allows me to use the excellent organization software and Adobe Acrobat, but still do my non-scanning work within Linux, my preferred environment, all on one physical computer. Finally, when I want to move my files from the Windows 7 virtualization to my Linux home directory, I just drag them to a network drive that I have set up, which is a Samba share between Linux and Windows 7. (I know this last paragraph might not be helpful or even make sense to a huge number of users, but it's hard to find good compatibility information out there for Linux users, so I hope it is helpful to someone like me who hacks with non-standard configurations.)***Update 21-Sep-2012: Regarding the useful comments by Chris (see comments to this post), I have tested native functionality in Linux. This scanner is detected directly by OpenSUSE 12.2, the distribution I am currently running. First, I used the application "Scanner" (configure a scanner) and it automatically detected it via USB. Next, I tested both Simple Scan and Skanlite (a KDE application), and both were able to produce high-quality scans that were able to be saved as image files. Skanlite appears to be more feature-rich than Simple Scan, with basic and scanner-specific options. In short, I did not have to do anything fancy to make it work as a basic scanner directly in Linux. (This might vary, depending on Linux distribution or configuration.) Although it is good for a quick scan in Linux, I plan to still use my methods described above for big projects that require hundreds of pages, inserting/deleting pages, pausing for the occasional scanner jam, and so forth; I like the bundled ScanSnap and Acrobat software that runs in Windows, which has been very useful.

This is an awesome scanner. I left a post-it note on a photo I scanned. The scanner told me it had detected a duplicate feed - and I thought, I'll pay that! And the thing was, I did not want the post-it note to be scanned. So I took it off and re-scanned the photo. The rest of the photos in the batch went through fine. The scanner uses some very impressive technology like that.It scans both sides of the page. That is seriously a feature you must have. Trying to scan a 2-sided document without this is a fiddle and waste of time and invariably ends up in tears, frustration and anger.Physical design is good. It folds out and folds out, it is Japanese origami.Speed is fast. But if you really want to do a full colour very fine resolution scan it will slow down a bit and give beautiful results.I recommend this scanner if you want to clear your papers and free up your deskspace and throw out your paper files. It will get you there.Acrobat is included. And that is very handy. Acrobat is useful in its own right for editing PDFs. Things like removing pages, joining PDFs together into one, re-ordering and rotating pages. And you get the Acrobat PDF printer too - so all your other applications can print to PDF documents. So this scanner creates PDFs or JPGs - that's about it. But really, it's about all you need.Scan Profiles: So if you want to scan your tax records and bank statements you can do grayscale 200 DPI and that's a pretty nice scan quality without taking up too much drive space. So you set up a profile for this with the included software and call it: "Grayscale 200 DPI to Folder". There is a ScanSnap icon sitting in the Windows System Tray. If you click on it, a menu pops up and you can see all your profiles and the currently selected one is marked with a tick. To change profiles, just click on the one you want - such as "Grayscale 200 DPI to Folder" and that will stay selected until you next change it. Even will be remembered between reboots of your PC. So most of the time you might just use the one profile, but then you need to do some photos or maybe scan a passport page or something where you want a much higher quality. So you simply select your profile for that. The profile can be set to save straight to a folder that you designate, and then you go and sort out the scan documents later on; or you can be prompted after each scan for the folder to save to, with the opportunity to also change the default date-timestamp filename while you're at it - if you want. This is highly usable and very well thought out. I would suggest that it's the same standard of design simplicity and usability that has made Apple products so successful. So, your profile is set (just do that once). To scan, you then hit the single big lit up Blue button on the scanner and job done. Even works in dark rooms. No stupid little LED/LCD consoles or menus to navigate on the device. No panel of buttons with hieroglyphics that you have no idea what they mean and are too small to see from across the desk. Just one big blue button - hit it - that is it.Fujitsu is a top brand. They have had a quality culture since well, I don't know, the 70s. The employees designing and building a product at Fujitsu have the right to refuse to release a product if they are not satisfied with it. Does not matter, what management or marketing say, if it's no good - they can refuse to release the product. This shows in the quality of this product.Bottom line is this - this is the scanner to get for personal and small to medium volume business use. You will not regret it - so stop agonising or reading other reviews - buy it right now. This Windows scanner (S1500) also works with Linux. There is a separate but similar model for Mac OSX (ScanSnap S1500M), so make sure you order the right one.

I bought one scanner for my office in July it worked so well that I bought another one the next month. The scans are so clear and the unit straightens up any pages which may feed a little skewed. It is true in operation to what it manufacturer states concerning dropping in different size documents and it takes care of straighting and re sizing. I have put in receipts with 8.5X10 documents and 8.5X14 some front only some front and back and it knows how to treat them all straighting each and skipping blank back pages as well as picking up double sided documents. The scansnap filing system is great for filing scanned documents on the fly. I have yet to have a misfeed and I have scanned some 500 documents my coworker has scanned about 1500 and her office is much more organized. The best part it scans both front and back with one pass and it knows to ignore blank pages. However the scan ocr character recognition when scanning to word is a little tricky. The original document must be clear. I have found that this works better with Word 2007 than with earlier versions of word. I have recommended this scanner to several of my colleagues. Our CPA had an older model Fujitsu scanner and loved ours so much that he plans to get this one as well. He liked the small footprint when folded up it measures about 9.5" X 5" and folds up for easy transporting as well as keeping dust out of the unit. I love it I plan to get one more for our office and I might just get one for my home as well.

Our business has 6 years of quarterly forms piling up, with about 1300 forms per quarter. My job has been to either find a company to scan the documents for us or find a scanner to do the job instead. After getting the bids for companies to scan documents for us--about $3000--I put the task off until I could find a scanner I liked. This was the scanner I liked, after doing all my research. And it hasn't disappointed me, at all! Now, I've just started using it and have now scanned 2 years of forms. What once seemed a daunting task has become incredibly easy and fast. A mountain turned into a mole hill.Setup of this very small scanner was really fast, likewise the software. No messing with the back of my computer, just plug it into a front USB port, unfold the scanner, hit the button and watch it work. It's fast, taking about a little over an hour to scan 1000 pages. Now, that's including the time I spent taking out staples, which slowed the process somewhat. So I can scan close to two years worth of papers in one day, at approximately 1300/quarter. I'll have the entire six years worth completed by next week, and that's very, very good. And cheap.Jammed paper in my HP all in one printer/scanner is a hassle to deal with, but not with this scanner. Although it scans crinkled pages quite well, a few have gotten stuck (or when I missed a staple). I can't believe how easy it is to unjam the scanner: Just push a button to open the scanner from the front, take the page out (the paper immediately releases), close, and go. EASY. Always a must for me. I've been putting in about 50 sheets per scan, as well.I set the scanner to scan only one side of a page, but it will scan both sides. I also set the scanner to continue to scan after each pack of paper has gone through. Otherwise it will end the scan job and you'll need to join 2 separate pdf files. I wanted the choice to continue. With this setting, if you have a jammed page you don't automatically end the scan job while you unjam the machine, you just clear the jam and hit the button to continue. It's so simple.This scanner is incredibly small, which I love. It almost fits anywhere. You don't need to find its own space, you can stick it on your desk, scan what you need, and put it away till next time. Unless, of course, it's going to become a daily part of your office routine. Then it's very easy to make space for. On my file cabinet it's 11" long, 6" deep, and about 6" tall at the tip. So, very compact.The quality of the scans is very good, as well. I did a test print after a scan and it was exactly like the original.Now, what I didn't realize (as we get pdf files that are well over 1000 pages) is that I could only scan 1000 pages into one document. I just started using this so am going to check the preferences to see if this is something I can change. If you have smaller stacks at a time, this fact won't matter.The scanner does scan large file sizes, even when I set the resolution lower. Maybe I haven't found the right setting to ensure much smaller sizes so after I'm done scanning I have to go into the open adobe file and reduce the file size, which reduces by 1/2. My scanned files were way too large at nearly 200 MB per file (again, 1000 pages though).Although windows 7 programs don't perform well on my new windows 7 machine, this scanner has had no problems with compatibility or functionality. This is very good. Windows 7 has proven to be very unstable with most of my other programs so I was a little leery of installing something new to run on it, but it's been fine.At the price I was quoted to scan all of our documents, this scanner could break 1/2 way through the job and I'd get the rest of the job done with a new one, and still be paying 1/3 of what scanning companies wanted to charge me, so I'm very happy with that. Our business partners in another state purchased one of these after I recommended it to them, and they have been doing the same thing, and loving the scanner.I highly recommend it.

I got this in August for home use and I am pretty impressed so far! I use it specifically for electronic filing and as a substitute for a fax, not for photos or graphic arts. What I wanted was to grab a stack of papers, drop them in, press a button, and have a PDF just materialize in a directory without having to dork around making various selections in Windows. A low interaction electronic filing system. And that's exactly what I got!The scanner performance is pretty good in my opinion - probably 2 seconds per page, and it scans both sides at once. The biggest batch it scanned was almost 30 sheets. Blank pages are _usually_ removed and upside-down pages are _usually_ righted. I've fed it legal and letter pages in the same batch with skinny drug store receipts, glossy color flyers, etc. and it _usually_ handles them as you'd hope. The big gotcha here is that different length paper can confuse it into thinking it's pulled 2 sheets at once. This is resolved by putting the longest sheet first, by using the carrier sheet, or by manually correcting the misfeed. Outside of that specific case, I've only had it misfeed three or four times (out of 70-80 scans). Many of the "usuallys" can be tweaked in the software settings if you'd like to tinker.I can't comment much on the software. I basically set the DPI, OCR, and file handling settings once and it always does that when I push the scanner button. This set up was a pain and I don't even remember how I got it working. But now it works without hiccup. OCR takes up to ~5 minutes on a 20 page, text-heavy document (I have an Athlon II X4). Most other software features - such as automatically extracting contact information from business cards and storing it in a cardbase - I've never even tried.So all that's nice but how could a $400+ scanner make any kind of sense for regular ol' home use? Well, maybe it doesn't for you. Here's my situation: I'm a keeper. I keep all the paperwork for my auto maintenance, mortgage, taxes, yearly benefits elections, etc. I keep all my paystubs, drawings from my niece, etc. I have 14 years of such items. Whatever compulsion makes me do that, it's easier to appease than to fight. At least if the system is easy and reliable, which it has been so far! I already have a decent file cabinet to help keep things under control. For similar money, going electronic this time seemed smarter.Update (12/27/2011): Scanning color & picturesDavid Ventimiglia asked how well it scans certain color documents, so I've uploaded some samples. The images were scanned to jpeg (instead of PDF) but otherwise use the software defaults. In my opinion, the scans are great for electronic reference and record keeping, where you care more about the document content than the condition.That said, there are a couple issues with using this for pictures so we might as well look at them:* There's a thin purple streak on the left side of the magazine article. I see this on occasion with color pictures but not consistently and not on bright backgrounds. The streak is usually in the same place. I'm not sure if it's the scanner or the image processing software.* There's some streaking & discoloration at the leading edge of two items. The discoloration seems proportional to the glossiness of the material. The 4x6 is the worst, and it's pretty stiff paper and extremely glossy. That magazine article is compliant but still pretty glossy. I've tried some low-gloss coupon fliers and magazine pages and the problem doesn't appear there. In fact, today's the first time I've ever noticed it. I'm guessing it's reflectance from the scan lamp.In the end, I'm still pleased with the results from an eDocument perspective. But I would look to a quality photo scanner if you needed perfect pics!

I will freely admit that I'm a pack rat. I still have boxes of papers from when I was in grade school and high school. Over the years after way too many additional years of schooling, I have too much stuff that I will never look at again, but am too scared to throw away. This is where this scanner comes in. I've had flatbed scanners for a long time but they are terrible for digitizing large amounts of papers. When searching for scanners, I was surprised by how this scanner could be so expensive yet have hundreds of 5 star reviews. Now I know! This scanner is awesome. I have scanned over 50,000 sheets of paper (there is a counter on then toolbar!) The scanner is super easy to use. Just load the software, customize your settings, load your paper, and then push the button to scan.Here are some tips that I found useful during my time of ownership:- I like to scan the images to .jpg instead of pdf files since jpgs are easy to work with. However, if you have a long document that you want to keep as one file, pdf is better.- Use the ultrasonic page overlap feature, this allows you to scan documents of different lengths, such as a pile of receipts.- Use a fast computer to scan. This scanner can scan faster than some computers can digest the data. I tried a p4 2.8 and dual core 1.8 machine and both were too slow. My i3 2.4 can keep up with no problems.- If you are deciding between this model (s1500) and the s1300, get the 1500. It cost a lot more, but it is definitly worth it. It scans faster and the consumables last much longer (pad assembly, pickup arm). I've owned both and the s1500 is worth it.- As a horder, I also hoard a lot of books which I will never look at but can't bear to throw away. My solution has been to cut off the binding and throw the book into the scanner. Works great. I know in Japan there is a service that does this, but you can do it yourself with this scanner.