Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1, WiFi	30	60	50 sheets	400 sheets	Click for more info

The Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 is one of the most popular A4 scanners currently available. It has thousands of satisfied users worldwide, as it provides great features at a reasonable price. It was launched as a desktop scanner, to replace the already popular Fujitsu Scansnap IX500. 

It comes with a CIS sensor, which makes it small, light and even more importantly cheaper than CCD competitors. Yes, you won’t do high-quality image scanning, but for most users out there this will never be a problem. 

The main advantage of a good small business is flexibility. This machine is a flexible king, as it provides scanning directly to a computer or independent from a workstation. The wireless scanning feature is great as it turns this scanner into a digital sender. 

Scanning speed might seem on the low side, but 30 pages per minute is way beyond your daily needs, trust us This is a duplex document scanner, which means both sides of the paper are captured at once.. Also, the document feeder adf, is around 50 sheets. Yes, you won’t convert your entire filing cabinet in an hour, but the performance is decent enough.

The touchscreen display and wireless scanning make it a great choice for offices, and the price makes it very affordable. Yes, this is definitely the scanner to buy when you are starting out or you are a small business.

Being a wireless document scanner, it’s much more versatile than a desktop one, so it’s more cost effective than a USB scanner. The Fujitsu scansnap ix1500 color duplex document scanner is probably one of the best devices out there at the moment, being a reliable wifi scanner that can also be connected through an USB cable.

Epson ES-400

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Epson ES-400	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and Ethernet (optional)	35	70	50 sheets	4,000 sheets	Click for more info

I must say we also like the Epson ES-400. Just like the Fujitsu, this Epson workforce is an A4 scanner that has most of the features you need to scan documents in your small business. Unlike Epson perfection models, this offers an automatic document feeder for quicker scanning of documents.

It comes with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection, but optionally you can get an Ethernet connection. This will help when your scanner is connected to a high-speed network. It will also help you when you use a high scanning resolution, as it will move the files to the computer much faster. Scan resolutions recommended for this device are 200 and 300dpi. This will provide decent results when you do optical character recognition.

The missing link here is the wireless scanning option. Nowadays, more and more businesses, small or big, need a wireless connection to scan documents directly to mobile devices. Or sometimes, they only have a wireless connection available, and with this scanner, it would be impossible to achieve this requirement. 

Mechanically though, this is a faster scanner if compared to the Fujitsu scanner and it can process around 35 sheets every minute. Enable the duplex mode and you will get around 70 images per minute. 

Brother ADS-2200

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Brother ADS-2200	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	Hi-Speed USB 2.0	35	70	50 sheets	3,000 sheets	Click for more info

Just like the Epson, the Brother ADS-2200 sheet feeder scanner is capable of running at around 35 pages per minute in simplex mode. Being a color duplex scanner this will also process both sides of any page through one pass. 

The scanning size is identical, reaching around 8.2 inches by 11.7 inches, therefore your classic A4 scanner. I must say, spec-wise, all these models are pretty much in the same boat. 

Compared to the Fujitsu IX1500 and the Epson ES400, this model only has a high-speed USB 2.0 connection. This means you scanner will only function on a dedicated workstation. And also, unlike other office equipment featured in this review, you don’t get a touch screen, just the classic buttons.

The lack of wireless scanning or ethernet connection makes this scanner quite unidimensional. But at the same time, a small business might only have a single workstation anyway, so you won’t be missing on much. 

If your business allows it, and you can get a good deal on the ADS-2200, then I am sure you won’t be disappointed with your decision. Yes, you can choose a Brother mobile scanner which might be cheaper, but it will never offer the same level of performance as this device. These types of scanners, the portable ones I mean, are more suited to people traveling, while these will work much better in an office.

Kodak Alaris E1035

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Kodak Alaris E1035	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 2.0	35	70	80 sheets	4,000 sheets	Click for more info

Last but not least, we have the Kodak Alaris E1035. Scanning size is identical to the others, A4 documents and the speed will reach 35 pages per minute. What we also like is that Alaris Kodak will also give you a choice of flatbed scanners to attach to it.

It will only connect to a dedicated PC through USB 2.0. That might seem a bit slow these days, but I am sure that for 35 pages per minute it should be enough. It’s definitely an improvement over older kodak scanmate models, and it will be much better than any portable scanner. 

One of the advantages this machine has is that it can work with the Kodak Alaris Capture software. While this will not be a popular choice with small businesses given the high price point, there are some cases in which you will have access to this software.

Just like other office products in this test, this sheetfed scanner is much more reliable than multifunction color laser printers when it comes to scanning documents. The opical resolution of this scanner makes it ideal for crisp scans, and the ISIS drivers will help you connect to it much easier. 

For example, small businesses that are contractors for large corporations will receive a license for such software as it allows for better integration with the large company workflow. 

In such cases, especially when running a lot of documents on a daily basis, this scanner will be a dream to use. Nowadays we have seen the launch of the Canon Imageformula R40, which is a direct competitor to this device, so also keep that in mind.

Editors Opinion

There is no doubt in my mind that for a small business, the best scanner it can get at this moment is the Fujitsu Scansnap ix1500. It is small, cheap and it will scan to wireless devices. It also works on both mac and pc, and will handle office documents reliably.

More important, this is a well proven model, which a lot of users are currently happy to own. It’s important for a business starting out to have a device that functions well and delivers on its promises. It comes with an OCR software included, which means you can produce a searchable PDF if needed, or even Word files. 

Another option would be to try the Kodak Alaris E1035. Compared to the IX1500 it is a bit faster, but it only works through USB, which means you can’t use it as a digital sender. 

Of course, price is also important for any small business. Therefore, if you find the other 2 models heavily discounted, they will fit in just as well into your small business workflow.