Owning a compact document scanner is very convenient. It can be taken anywhere you go and if you are individual that has to upload images or paper to your computer very frequently this type of device is a good investment. Most of these scanners are very small and thin and can easily fit inside a laptop bag if necessary. They are made from durable materials and many can be purchased at economical prices.  When shopping for your portable scanner there are a few factors that you should consider.

The first factor that should be considered when shopping for portable document scanners are the features. Your scanner may be portable, but it should still be capable of producing high quality scanned images. The first thing to consider is the power supply. Most scanners that are portable have some type of power supply such AC adapter or in newer models, through a USB port. The USB port is one of the best ways to power a scanner because you can simply connect it to computer and it will work. You should also consider the size of your scanner and the sizes and types of paper it can scan. Your scanner should be small and light enough that you can place it in a laptop bag. Depending on the types of documents that you will be scanning, you should at least purchase a scanner that will scan documents up 8 ½ x 14. This will ensure that you have scanning capabilities for larger documents. Likewise, it is important that your portable scanner is capable of scanning different types of paper such as heavy business cards or stock paper.

Another factor to consider when purchasing portable scanners is the way your document is saved and the type of format your documents will be saved in after the scanning process. There are some scanners that allow for an individual to scan a two sided document with one scan. Some scanners also allow for multi sheet feeds of paper in case you have a large document that needs to be scanned you don’t have to go through the process of hand feeding each page from the document.  When a document is scanned using a portable handheld document scanner, the scanner should automatically scan the documents and display the items scanned correctly on the computer. Many scanners of this type do allow the individual to save the scanned image as either a JPEG file or a PDF that can be used in Adobe Acrobat. Some scanners have the capability of exporting information to other software applications such as Word or Excel. It is recommended that you purchase a scanner that has features that will allow you to easily control the scanned image from your computer. Quick button scanning and the formatting of images automatically on the computer screen are very convenient functions to have when you are working on the go.

Investing in a portable sheetfed scanner is worthwhile when you want and need the convenience of scanning items while out and about.

If it’s been a while since you were in the market to buy a new scanner you may not know about the portable document scanners. Unlike the big bulky scanners of the past, portable document scanners are lightweight and easy to move about. Owning a portable scanner gives you the added flexibility of being able to use a scanner wherever you might be. Because of its smaller lightweight size you can even use it for travel purposes. Some are so small and compact that they weigh less than a pound. This makes it the ideal choice for business people who travel a lot and may have to stay out of town. Portable scanners are the perfect accessory for a laptop computer as they easily plug into any USB port.

There are several points to consider when deciding which scanner to purchase. Optical resolution is how well the scanner captures an image. The higher the optical resolution the better quality the image will have because it refers to the actual number of pixels per image. For basic printing purposes a 300dpi (dots per inch) is usually enough. If you work with photo quality images you will want a scanner with a higher dpi such as 600.

There is also a difference between a flatbed scanner and a sheet fed scanner. A flatbed scanner is exactly as it sounds – flat. It has a hard glass surface that you place the sheet of paper, or whatever the document may be, on then close the lid and run the scan. A sheet fed scanner has an automatic feeder in which you place your documents. The scanner then automatically continues to feed the documents through until completed. These scanners are used more for people who do high volumes of document scanning and need the continuous feed for bulk papers. You can also find this type available as a portable sheet fed scanner if you need something that is lightweight and easy to travel with.

Another consideration in choosing a scanner is the scanners speed. This is usually listed as pages per minute or ppm. Obviously the higher the ppm the faster the scanner performs a scan and the more pages you can get done in a shorter amount of time. Again, this is useful for someone who does a large volume of document work that needs to be scanned.

If you really want a small scanner then the portable handheld document scanner is the one for you. This item is the smallest and most lightweight scanner there is. It resembles a thin metal bar that is the length of a piece of paper. There is a version called the Docupen which operates on rechargeable lithium ion batteries through the USB port. It comes with an 8 MB flash memory to store up to 200 pages of scanned documents.

With so many choices available in scanners today you will want to do some comparison-shopping before making your decision. The prices for these scanners will vary widely depending on the features and the retailer who is selling them.

Probably the most convenient item available in portable document scanners is the DocuPen. This handy little item looks like an extremely elongated pen yet is a complete scanner! It is very lightweight, portable and easy to use. The DocuPen also comes with its own software and leather pouch for easy transportation. The DocuPen is a portable handheld document scanner that operates on lithium ion batteries. The batteries are rechargeable through any USB connection. The features of this portable document scanner make it one of the most convenient scanners to use with laptops.

The drawback the portable scanner is the large room for error factor. In order to scan an item or document you hold the DocuPen and gently, but steadily drag it down across the page you are scanning. There is a red LED light which will flash if you run the DocuPen too quickly over the document. Of course that means you have to try again. If you don’t have a steady hand this could become a potential annoyance. In addition if you scan something that is stapled like a page from a book or a magazine, the unevenness of the material can also cause your hand to move unsteadily.

You may want to consider some other options available in portable scanners instead. Most of these scanners connect to your computer through the USB port and are lightweight enough to take along on travel. There are several online retailers that carry these easy to use scanners. Scan Store is one that offers the Strobe XP. It is a very compact color scanner that you place on a flat surface. Then you simply feed your paper into the scanner to have it scanned. There are also other models with varying degrees of this same design for use. This type of scanner would not work for copying documents out of a book or magazine.

Another type of scanner is a portable sheetfed scanner. These scanners are going to be larger and weigh more, but you can use them to scan just about anything. The unit consists of a flat scanner with a hinged lid you open and close. The scanner itself has a glass surface on which you place your document, paper or even book, and then close the lid for scanning. If you are someone who travels a lot for business and would like a scanner to take along with you, this may not be the best choice. It is not as compact as the other non sheetfed styles of scanners.

It’s best to spend some time shopping around to see what would work best for your needs. You can even go to an electronics store where they have experienced personnel that can help answer any questions you might have. You want to make sure you purchase the right item for your needs as many retailers do not accept returns of electronic items.