Epson WorkForce Pro GT-S80 Document Imaging Scanner Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the GT-S80 to replace my 1st generation Mac compatible Scansnap (fi-5110EOXM). I wanted a faster scanner (40 PPM vs 15) with better paper handling (less misfeeds according to at least one review comparing GT-S50 to Scansnap elsewhere.)
I used the GT-S80 for less than a day and returned it to Amazon. Here are the reasons why:
1. Speed. Even though the GT-S80 is rated at 40 ppm, when I load paper to scan and push the scan button, it would take about 15-20 seconds for the Epson utility that handles the scanning to activate and for the scan job to actually begin. Several sheets would feed quickly, then there would be a pause (several seconds) while the 5 or 6 sheets that had fed were being processed. Please note, I am using a 2009 Mac Pro 8 core 2.66 GHz Nehalem Xeon machine with 16GB of RAM. It's not a sluggish machine. The combination of the delay in starting and the pause each 5-6 pages significantly decreased any speed advantage the GT-S80 may theoretically possess.
2. Page misfeeds. My scans often consist of regular laser paper interspersed with thinner "NCR" pressure sensitive paper. The GT-S80 double fed these as often as my old Scansnap. Not only did it misfeed, even when I tried to turn on the ultrasonic double feed detection, the Epson would not detect double fed sheets.
3. LCD display on scanner doesn't show actual scan settings when used with Macintosh. When used with Windows PC's, the Epson GT-S80 will show the scan settings from the LCD display (resolution, simplex/duplex, etc), allowing the user to choose the job setting desired. On Mac, only JOB1, JOB2, JOB3...etc. are shown.
4. Confusing EpsonScan utilities. I also have an Epson V600 flatbed scanner (great scanner!) The Epson Scan utility that is compatible with the V600 is a different version than the one that is compatible with the GT-S80, although they look similar. Neither will recognize the other scanner. This is a bit counter intuitive. Of course, this isn't a problem if you don't use Epson Scan to do your scanning (using TWAIN or another scan utility.)
Anyway, I ended up returning the scanner to Amazon and bought a Scansnap S1500M, which I am much happier with than the GT-S80.

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Sheetfed Scanners, Epson, WORKFORCE PRO GT-S80, B11B194081

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Epson GT 2500 Document Imaging Color Scanner (B11B181011) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my third scanner within the past year.
First was the highly regarded Fujitsu Snapscan. It worked really well for about 6 months on normal letter size documents. But after that, the automatic paper feeder started grabbing more than one sheet at a time.
I cleaned it following instructions and even sent it in for service, but the problem only got worse. Even three sheet scans seized up in the middle when the feeder grabbed all three and jammed. I couldn't finish many jobs at all.
And forget about odd shaped docs - it would take them, but no matter how they went in, they scanned in wild, off center angles, making reading them nearly impossible. The scanner is now somewhere in the garage.
Next: a Brother multi-function center, purchased primarily for its scanner capabilities.
Except that it draws more than a thousand watts of power. And it blew up my battery back-up power system. Posts on the net indicated this wasn't a fluke, so that one went back.
So, now to the new Epson. Here's what I found:
1. After the first half dozen scans (during which the machine made scary loud groaning noises), it now runs very quietly and dependably. Guess I'll never know what those first ones were about, but I'm not worried about it.
2. The quality of the scans is excellent. I advise setting the software for light sharpening.
3. However, there is a little too much scanner interface involvement. You should be able to set all of the various choices (paper size; color vs. black and white; where to save it, etc) and then store that setting and tell the machine to just keep scanning that way until you change it. Instead, you have to approve it for every scan. It only takes a second, but it's annoying.
4. Ironically, the software doesnt stop at the one place you do want it to wait for you - after the scan and before saving, to give you a chance to rename it. It just numbers and saves the file automatically.
This is really dumb, as you have to reopen it and rename it each time(though you can set the software to automatically reopen the file where you keep the scans so it's one step less to do this).
I have to believe they'll fix this in a software update, as this is a new product. I've registered my vote on this and if you buy this product, you should too.
Other than that, I'm very happy with the scanner. It also works well with magazine articles as well as regular bond paper. It's not as fast as the Fujitsu and it requires a couple of extra steps per scan, but... this one works! (and really weird stuff can always go on the flatbed, which the Fujitsu didn't have)
I'm keeping this one and using it to start a project I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now: scan the contents of my file cabinets onto my hard drive.
After that, I'm gonna back it all up on another drive and toss out the originals.
Sweet.

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Epson GT-2500 Series Color Flatbed Scanner

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Epson WorkForce GT-1500 B11B190011 Document Imaging Scanner (White) Review

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(More customer reviews)This scanner uses LEDs as a light source and so has zero warm-up time. The paper feeding system is very fast and and handles irregular sheets and ragged corners with no trouble. The scanner itself beats the HP 5550C I've been using.
Epson's scanner interface is not to my taste but has presets for office and graphic professional scanning needs. What keeps it from getting highest marks is the abysmal customer service.
I couldn't get the twain driver to work under Windows Vista. The WIA driver did work, but doesn't support acquisition from the sheet feeder (which defeats the whole purpose of buying this scanner). Lack of sheet feeder support is a crippling blow to the usability of Paperport (which I have used for years). Epson should not be bundling software that their own product does not support.
I spent hours on the phone with three levels of Epson's technical support to no avail. They tried to pawn me off on Nuance to get Paperport support (Nuance's policy is that software bundled with hardware is supported by the manufacturer of the hardware!)
One of the technicians I spoke to did not even know that twain and WIA were different drivers. How can they possibly address my problem when they have such poor background in the product?
The answer of course, is that Epson's support is provided by a call center in India or some such place and the support people are reading canned responses off a computer screen.
The level two technicians knew nothing more that the level one technicians. After a lengthy conversation with a level three technician I was promised a resolution and a return phone call, which as you might guess, never happened.
In the end, I was left to my own devices and discovered a workaround. Scan using the Epson interface (which does support the document feeder) and set its destination directory to the main Paperport directory.
Then open Paperport and manage your documents from there. Not as good as scanning directly from within Paperport, but it gets the job done.


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Get superior image quality and enhanced productivity from the WorkForce GT-1500 color document imaging scanner. This easy-to-use scanner offers the versatility you need to electronically archive important documents or share records with your workgroup. And, with 1200 x 2400 dpi resolution, it delivers truly amazing quality, so you can capture every detail all with easy, one-touch scanning. This powerful performer makes it easy to scan stacks of records, applications and forms. Use the high-capacity Automatic Document Feeder to quickly scan a variety of sizes up to 8.5x14. The WorkForce GT-1500 speeds through scans up to 20 pages per minute, giving you more time to tackle other tasks. And, it not only offers greater productivity, it ensures more efficient operation. With innovative ReadyScanTM LED technology, theres no warmup time required. Best of all, this earth-friendly LED technology does not include any mercury, and it reduces power consumption. The smart choice for all your document imaging needs, the WorkForce GT-1500 includes a powerful software package. ABBYY FineReader Sprint Plus OCR allows you to create editable text from scans, while ScanSoft PaperPort makes it easy to organize all your documents. Use Epson Scan to create multi-page PDFs, or to copy or send scans as e-mail attachments. Its all right at your fingertips with the WorkForce GT-1500, a powerful performer available at an amazing value.

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iVina BulletScan S300 Duplex Color Sheetfed Scanner with Detachable Mobile Scanner, 15ppm/30ipm, supports Windows and Mac OS (S3001130) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am used to getting so-so support for most products. I read some of the other reviews and figured that this company was a little better. I received my scanner and unpacked it today. I set it up and installed the software but it kept quitting when I'd try to scan. So I called support and got a recording that they were closed. I figured that they were closed for MLK day. Then 2 minutes later, they call me on my phone by caller ID only and ask if I had been having trouble, in accent-free English. I had not left a VM, mind you. Then he proceeds to spend the next 50 minutes with me, logs into my computer and figures out that there's a conflict with a camera driver that he removed. Then it worked perfectly. I had another question 30 minutes later about duplex scanning that I was immediately able to reach him again on and got it fixed instantly.
The scanner itself is very compact, fast and versatile. The portable part even un-docks, Transformers-style and can be taken with you in your briefcase. Over-all, it's a great product at a great price with great customer service. Kudos to these guys! (Now if it could only be made in USA!)

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The iVina BulletScan S300 Duplex Color Sheet-Fed Scanner with Detachable Mobile Scanner is two scanners in one, providing a scanning solution for the office and the road. Whether you need to scan business cards, receipts, ID cards, photos, or legal-sized documents, the BulletScan S300 has you covered--wherever you may be.
Two Scanners in One Whether you're a business traveler or an office worker, you'll love how the BulletScan S300 provides a single solution for all your scanning needs. Using a USB 2.0 connection, the BulletScan S300 scans up to 30 images per minute in color at 200 dpi when docked in its 20-page automatic document feeder.
When it's time to hit the road, simply undock the S300 BulletScan, and you'll have a USB-powered, easy-to-carry mobile scanner that can read an 8-1/2- by 11-inch document in less than five seconds. You'll be able to easily scan business cards, receipts, ID cards, photos, and other documents you acquire while traveling.
Multiple Scanning Options The BulletScan S300 uses a Contact Image Sensor (CIS), scanning at a crisp 600-dpi optical resolution with 48-bit color, 16-bit gray scale, or black-and-white. It also allows for scanning output with 24-bit color, 8-bit gray scale, halftone, dynamic black-and-white, or fixed-threshold black-and-white. With so many options to choose from, the BulletScan S300 ensures you'll always get the scans you want.
Easy-to-Use Software BulletScan Manager Software makes it easy for you to control your scanning processes, file formats, and scan-to destinations. The BulletScan S300 includes six scan-to destinations with one-click configuration for scan-to-email, scan-to-print, scan-to-PDF, searchable PDF, and others.
Additionally, BulletScan Manager offers both easy and advanced scan mode settings. In easy mode, default features include auto straighten, auto crop, auto rotate, and edge cleanup. Advanced mode allows for fine tuning of all settings.
Optimum Accuracy with Auto-Language Detection The BulletScan S300 is powered by ABBYY FineReader Technology, the same technology used for ABBYY FineReader Desktop OCR, a PC Magazine four-star product. With high optical character recognition accuracy, the BulletScan is able to reduce the size of resulting PDF files without any loss of visual quality. Additionally, the smart software retains text-under-image, text-over-image, text-and-picture, or image-only PDFs.
The FineReader technology has automatic language detection, so you get no-hassle scanning, OCR, and conversion. It automatically detects documents in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
System Requirements The BulletScan S300 requires a computer with a Pentium 4 or equivalent processor, Windows 7/XP (SP 2)/Vista operating system, 512 MB of RAM (1 GB for Vista), 350 MB of available hard drive space, a CD/DVD-ROM drive, and a USB port.
The BulletScan S300 is rated for a daily duty cycle of 2,500 pages and is backed by a two-year warranty.
What's in the Box Mobile scanner, docking station, USB cable, power supply, quick install guide, and installation CD.

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