We’re supposed to be working in the mobile era. That’s fine for reading e-mails or working on spreadsheets. But what about when you need to scan something?
Basically there’s the Xerox machine that’s straight out of the ’60s. Then you’ve got these desktop multi-function devices. Better, but there’s still no way you’re going to carry it around.
Enter Canon’s Scan-tini. It’s a scanner you can throw into your laptop bag. This scanner is smaller than my umbrella. It’s almost as easy to use too. Plug it in to your USB port and open up the front flap. Adjust the paper tray size and you’re ready to scan.
I really liked how I didn’t have to install the DVD software to use this device. Windows recognized it and installed the driver. Plus, Canon put a scanning wizard right on to the device. So you really have everything you need just by plugging in. Just make sure the auto-start switch is on.
The Scan-tini did a great job scanning this government form for my files. The contrast was very high and the text was crisp and easy to read. I found it super convenient that I could scan both sides of a document at once.
To compare, I scanned the same document with my old Brother desktop printer/scanner. It didn’t look nearly as good.
But the Scan-tini wasn’t as good with pictures. Look at the scans of these old vacation photos from Greece. It just didn’t capture the details as well as my desktop scanner. The colours were faded and there were some blotchy spots too.
Another downside? You can’t have fun scanning your face pressed up against the glass.
Pop in the DVD disc to install better software. Capture OneTouch will scan your documents directly to Evernote or Google Drive. Great feature.
Presto! BizCard 6 is made to organize business cards that you scan in. But I don’t really see myself doing that.
The Scan-tini P208 retails for $280. Canon also sells a P-215 Scan-tini model that has a fold-up paper tray and can handle up to 20 pages at a time. It costs $340.
If you absolutely need to scan documents while on the road then throw the Scan-tini in your bag. But if you want to scan more than one thing at a time, or need to scan a bunch of photos, then you might as well stick with your umbrella.