The (1) Epson ES-300W is my third portable scanner of this portable format, the other two being the (2) Fujitsu ScanSnap s1300 (which I still have though it has some dead pixels now after several years of use) and the (3) Canon P-215II. (For completeness, I'll mention that in this category of portable duplex scanners, there is also the (4) Brother ADS1000W and the similar (5) Brother ADS1500W, neither of which I have tried.)
Short version: The Epson is vastly superior to the Fujitsu in every respect. While the Canon is even more compact (though somewhat more fragile), it has a design flaw that mainly affects photo scanning, which ruled it out for me. You can see my review of the Canon at this link: https://www.amazon.com/review/R1WC16W15EKYI3/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Here I will review the Epson ES-300W, mostly by comparing it with the Fujitsu s1300 (over which it wins in every possible regard). I loved my Fujitsu for many years but didn't realize its limitations (it's an old product and badly needs updating) until I bought the Epson to replace it when it started losing a few pixels.
Here are all the ways in which the Epson ES-300W is superior to the Fujitsu s1300. Both are in a similar price category and almost exactly the same size.
EPSON SUPERIOR
- Scanning speed: Epson about 5x (estimated) faster at 300 dpi.
- Scanning noise: Epson is silent, the paper glides through (with the Fujitsu you hear the rattle of the stepper motor)
- Compatibility: Epson is TWAIN compatible for use with any scanning software. Fujitsu is NOT TWAIN compatible and hence forces you to use their software (which has many limitations).
- Scanning flexibility: Epson lets you scan natively as TIFF, JPG, BMP, PDF and more; Fujitsu only as JPG and PDF. With Epson JPG you can choose quality level to 99%; with Fujitsu you can choose 4 levels of compression and even with the lowest compression (highest quality), photos are somewhat lossy (Epson lets you save as TIFF if you want, so you don't lose any detail in compression). Epson scanner driver lets you adjust a host of parameters such as brightness, contrast, gamma, right at scan time; Fujitsu doesn't.
- Card scanning: Epson has a dedicated slot for scanning business and plastic cards; Fujitsu doesn't (I don't find it very useful for my applications, but it's there).
- USB 3.0 for Epson (vs. 2.0 for Fujitsu). In addition to transfer speed, this gives the huge advantage to the Epson of being able to operate without an A/C adaptor, connected just to the computer's USB 3.0 (Fujitsu allows you to scan without a power adaptor too, but more slowly and two USB 2.0 cables connected to TWO USB ports).
- Built-in rechargeable battery for Epson; none for Fujitsu.
- WiFi or USB 3.0 connect for Fujitsu; USB 2.0 only for Fujitsu.
EPSON AND FUJITSU EQUAL
- Physical size
- Maximum optical resolution 600 dpi
- One-pass Duplex scanning
FUJITSU SUPERIOR
- Nothing I've found yet
Summary. Go with the Epson--it's a no-brainer. The only improvement I can think of, is the addition of some internal memory to permit scanning (in some default "auto" mode) with no computer and just the scanner standalone--it's a logical addition since it already operates cable-less with the rechargeable battery. It's a shame they didn't add this simple and low-cost feature.
This scanner just arrived this week. I spent a lot of time shopping around, and I'm really happy with this purchase. The document feeder is almost perfect - it pulls each sheet in order, has not bent or warped anything (so far), and supports double-sided scanning. I've loaded it with paper quite a few times to find the software thinks the document feeder is empty, but removing and re-inserting the paperwork seems to fix it.
The software from Epson isn't very good, and getting it onto my wireless network was downright painful (and I work in IT!). Overall, I spent over an hour trying to get this thing to connect to my very standard, WPA2-encrypted, wireless network. The manual mentioned a program, EpsonNet Config, which wasn't included in the driver download. I ended up fumbling around with the Epson Scan 2 Utility and got it connected using WDS, which I didn't realize my Apple AirPort router supported. However, when I finally got to scanning documents, the connection was so unstable that I couldn't pull entire documents to my computer - for a 5-page document, it would give up after 2 pages and a lot of time waiting. I gave up and switched to USB, which has worked perfectly. I also used the included ABBYY software, which is infinitely better than Epson's own scanning software (which includes three similar-looking programs, for some reason). The ABBYY software can only be obtained by installing Epson's drivers, then running Epson Software Updater, and is apparently the reason for the high price of the scanner. Be sure to use the OCR, since you're paying for it.
All of that said, I've switched from my Doxie scanners (I've bought three over the years), and am not looking back. Besides the subpar software, I'm very happy with this purchase.
Bottom Line Up Front: This scanner replaced my reliable Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 that I've been using for years now. Like the ScanSnap, you can scan documents directly into Evernote.
I've been wanting to replace my Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 since I've had it since 2011. It's such a reliable scanner and it gets the job done. Honestly, I was very skeptical this Epson could replace it. I knew it would probably be a faster scanner but I thought the OCR, auto rotate, and integration with Evernote would not be up my liking. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong. Set up was fairly simple. I installed the software and then plugged my scanner into the computer. When you first connect, it automatically looks for firmware and software updates. Although the scanner works just on USB power, it will not let you install the firmware without plugging your A/C adapter. This is something the software will not tell you. I kept on getting an error message when I was trying to install the firmware and I was able to fix the issue when I plugged the A/C power.
Pros:
-Highly customizable compared to my Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300. It's amazing how many customizable options there are. Everything from where to send the document after it's scanned, to what the scan button does, to the name of the output file and whether you want to delete it after sending it to Evernote (or whatever program you choose).
-Real fast scanning compared to my ScanSnap.
-Better scanning quality over my ScanSnap even at the same DPI settings.
-It can auto rotate documents based on the text. Based on my tests, it performs this better than my ScanSnap.
Cons
-My biggest complaint is that the USB cable is only 3 feet long. Not an issue if you're using this as a portable scanner but it can definitely be an issue if you're using it on a desktop. The good thing is that it uses a standard USB 3.0 cable rather than a proprietary cable. Luckly, 3 ft is just long enough to reach my desktop so I won't have to buy a new cable.
-Since it's so highly customizable (a pro), it requires some configuring to get it to work with Evernote. It's not hard to do this but it's not ready out of the box. However, once you do, it's good to go.
-It's not a big issue but after you hit the scan button, there's a one or two second delay before it scans. Not a big issue at all.
-It sometimes has a hardtime detecting whether there's paper in the tray. I have to really lodge it in there for it to detect it.
I used to have a scanner on my desk at work, and I used it every day. It was so easy and convenient. When I left my job, I found I still needed a scanner. A lot. So I'd show up at my old job with folders full of stuff and con someone into scanning them for me.
Well, tax time rolled around, and I realized it would be a real pain to go into the old job and get someone to scan for me. So, I decided to suck it up and buy a scanner.
This scanner is sweet. Seriously. I have a Mac, and the download of software took no time flat, it honestly took me more time to find an empty socket on my surge protector. From there, you open the application, hit scan and you're good to go.
It does single or double sided scanning, scanned right to a pdf, open the file, rename it, and you're in business...and the document quality is fine. Also, this thing is wickedly fast, even on double sided. And it's tiny, it barely requires any desktop real estate, and it's light, so it could well be a portable for folks who take their offices with them.
I'm normally not this effusive, but for the money, this thing is a solid winner.
I got this to supplement the Epson flatbed scanner that has served me well for years. The positives: portable, fast, wireless, small footprint, duplex scanning (both sides at once), and ships with Abbyy Finereader Sprint, the scaled-down version of the industry-leading OCR software. On the minus side its paper-handling is not very reliable. It has no problem at all with unfolded 20-pound paper with clean edges, and is rarely bothered by folds or irregular edges. But lightweight paper, especially thermal receipts, are rarely ingested on the first try, and often fail on repeated attempts. (Hint: sometimes they'll go when placed upside down; set your software for duplex mode and discard the blank side.) Occasionally it will misfeed, with the paper skewed, and sometimes that will result in the page getting crumpled inside the scanner. Use with caution when scanning valuable documents or photos (and I think photos are not recommended in any event).
Feature Product
- Fastest scan speeds in its class (1) - up to 25 ppm/50 ipm (2); Single-Step Technology captures both sides in one pass.
- Versatile scanning - scan 2-sided documents, receipts, business cards, plastic IDs and more.
- Convenient portability - use AC power, or if there's no outlet, USB power (4) from your computer.
- Quick batch scanning for stacks of paper - 20-page Auto Document Feeder.
- Powerful software included - easy scanning with intuitive Epson ScanSmart Software (3); preview, email, upload and more; automatic file naming and object recognition save time.
Description
Delivering the fastest scan speeds in its class (1), the WorkForce ES-200 portable duplex document scanner makes it easy to stay organized, whether you're at the office or on the road. Quickly scan 2-sided documents, business cards and receipts with Single-Step Technology. Featuring a 20-page Auto Document Feeder, the versatile ES-200 performs efficient batch scanning up to 25 ppm/50 ipm (2). Easily scan to cloud storage accounts (3), or to searchable PDFs and editable Word and Excel files using the included Epson ScanSmart Software (3). Built-in Epson Image Processing Technology offers intelligent color and image adjustments. And, you can use either AC or USB power (4) — for convenient portability.
1. In its class, as compared to other portable consumer document scanners with an ADF, using the AC adapter and power cable, priced under $300 USD (MSRP) sold into the United States and Canada as of June 2016. Excludes other Epson products.
2. Based on letter-sized scans at 300 dpi using the AC adapter.
3. With Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. Internet connection required. Supports Windows 10 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 8/8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit) SP1 and Mac OS X 10.11.x to macOS 10.13.x.
4. USB power requires USB 3.0 connection port on your computer.
5. For convenient and reasonable recycling options, visit our official site.
6. SmartWay is an innovative partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that reduces greenhouse gases and other air pollutants and improves fuel efficiency.
This works well, the software is pretty easy to install, and it's even pretty straight-forward to get working on a wireless network. It's also FAST and good quality. My only real complaint is that the page feeder can't take more than about 8-10 pages at a time before it starts double- or triple-feeding. Also, mine once thought it was jammed, and the only way I could find to clear it was to power it off and back on (I had pulled the paper through manually).
I also wish it came with at least a basic protective case.
This scanner is fast and easy to use, I just wish the build quality was a little more solid. As is typical of Epson products, it feels like a gentle flower with the flimsy plastic that flexes and creaks. With that being said, this scanner is still awesome.
Having a completely wireless scanner is pretty amazing. Instead of going to the scanner with what you need scanned, you can instead bring the scanner to what needs scanning. There's no power cord or cables to plug in, you just press power and then connect to it with your phone app. I can't get over how natural it felt to just scan documents into my phone.
The scanner is fast. It took me less time to setup the scanner for the very first time on my phone and scan 10 documents than it would have taken to boot up my PC and scan one document with my flatbed scanner.
I might need to play with the App a little more but when I installed it on my wife's phone I didn't see a way to just use a scanner on the network, instead I had to setup the scanner all over again. It took less than a minute but it seems unnecessary to have to do that for every device you want to use the scanner on.
One of my big ambitions for the year was to minimize our paperwork. I debated hiring a scanning service to get several boxes of papers scanned and shredded in one go, but then I realized that we'd need the tools at home to maintain a clean slate over time. This little baby does the trick! At first my scanning project seemed overwhelming, but I parsed out the work into 15-30 minute spurts and sure enough, I finished scanning everything within a few weeks. This scanner makes it simple to save newly created digital files to your computer, to an external hard drive or to a cloud server. Our file cabinet is now ready to accept the few things that we need to keep in paper form. Non-essential incoming paperwork gets scanned and shredded on a weekly basis, keeping the whole system running smoothly.
Works extremely well. I have no regrets purchasing this at all. First I was hesitant to spend this amount of money on a dedicated scanner but after using it for several months now, it was worth every penny. The set up for the scanner was not too bad for wired mode once the drivers were installed. The wireless setup through Wi-Fi is a bit more tedious but still easy to do. The only downsides to this scanner is that scanning long receipts often causes a jam, but the jams are extremely quick to fix, and there is non on board storage for reconnecting to different networks over Wi-Fi so you have to setup the wireless connection each time you go to a different location, which isn't a big deal since you can use the direct wireless connection.
I rarely write 5-star reviews but this fully deserves it. We have used these in a semi-moble workflow for nearly 6 months at this point and both the device and the software accompanying it could do whatever we wanted.
We started with just one, but it worked so well for us that we purchased 8. All of them continue to work great. In addition to working well, they are durable and travel well. Can't recommend them enough as they save us so much time while maintaining high-quality images, super fast scanning speed for a mobile scanner, a very usable paper tray for a mobile workflow and OCR.
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