Keyscan KS810 - Keyboard - USB Review

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(More customer reviews)I use my scanner to store old documents in my computer so I can get rid of bulky paper files. I keep the paper copies until I probably won't need them again; for example, I keep tax returns for 6 years, then scan them and shred the paper copies. I protect my electronic files with multiple backups including an external hard drive and flash cards. A scanner keyboard fits in the same space a standard keyboard does, but to use it, the sheet feed slot at the top of the keyboard needs to be accessible.
My first scanner keyboard was a Windows 98-compatible Visioneer that came bundled with Paperport 4.0, which I've upgraded to PaperPort 7.0. I like the PaperPort software because it allows you to do all sorts of nifty things, such as rotating and straightening the page, removing clutter, stacking pages, labeling pages and stacks, creating file folders, etc. Unfortunately, my old scanner keyboard doesn't work on my Windows XP system, so I bought this KeyScan product to use with my current computer. I can't comment on the software that comes bundled with it, because I haven't used it. For me, the best feature of the KeyScan scanner is that I can use it to scan documetns into my existing PaperPort files. You do this by opening the PaperPort program, then clicking on the "Twain" button in the PaperPort toolbar, which brings up the KeyScan dialog box. For typical document scanning work, I set the "Document Type" at "Text" and brightness at "Normal."
Any sheet feed scanner is slow, and the KeyScan product is no exception. It takes about 20 seconds to scan each page, which makes scanning a large number of pages a time-consuming project. It has two cords, a power cord, and a data cable that plugs into a USB port in the back of your computer. Its keyboard is the silent type and has all the standard keyboard features.
The KeyScan product is adequate for this work. It will accept standard-size typing paper (8.5 x 11) and has a setting to scan legal-size documents (8.5 x 14), but no wider than 8.5 inches. It will feed different paper weights, but the feed mechanism is poorly engineered, and regardless of what type of paper you're scanning, it all tends skew in the rollers unless you manually guide it. If you get a dark vertical line on your scan, this means there's dirt or foreign material on the glass surface. This is fairly easy to clean by snapping out the plastic feed tray with your fingers (just push on it). I shove a Q-tip under the roller to separate the roller from the glass, and use a Q-tip or piece of medical gauze (which is lint-free) to clean the glass surface.
The KeyScan product has a number of other features that I don't know how to use and therefore won't try to explain. The main thing I would say about it is that, despite the fact it suffers from the shortcomings of all sheet feed scanners, plus has a lousy feed mechanism, at a price of $100 it costs only two or three times as much as a standard PC keyboard, which is a reasonable price to pay for having the capability of storing paper documents in your computer so you can get rid of the paper files. And, as I said, I really like the fact it works with my existing PaperPort software. For these advantages, I'll put up with its shortcomings.

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