Canon imageFORMULA P-150 Portable Document Scanner for Macintosh

Pros: software is Mac/Snow Leopard compatible, convenient size, fast post-scan OCR processing

Cons: no document bin, grabs multiple pages a little too often.

I'm assuming you're looking at this product because it's Mac compatible, relatively portable, rates fast, and looks cool so I won't say much about that, except for the scan speed.

I've been using this scanner for about a month with my 13" MacBook running Snow Leopard, OS X10.6.4, and have scanned a few hundred pages, everything from receipts, bank statements, kids' doodles, color and B&W, thin and thick paper, single and multiple pages. I used basically the default settings, changing only simplex/duplex scans. There are YouTube videos available that demonstrate the P150's scan speed. The fastest speeds are for B&W at 200 dpi. If you have mixed B&W and color documents and set the scanner to automatically determine which type of document it is scanning, it can be significantly slower. Using only one USB connection, 200 dpi, with auto-detect color, paper size, and skip blank pages, I get only 4 or 5 pages per minute. Plus, it takes about 4-5 seconds from pressing Start before the pages begin to feed. OCR processing is very fast, though. Usually done within seconds after the last page has been scanned. It comes with a second USB chord you can use simultaneously, presumably to speed scanning, but I haven't notice any difference.

I had to return the first one I received because the automatic document feeder was defective. It grabbed multiple pages at least 1/3 of the time. i read another bad review on amazon by someone who had the same problem. However, the replacement unit hasn't given me any significant problems so far. So if you're getting a lot of misfeeds, send it back for a replacement.

The included software loaded easily, worked flawlessly, and is easy to use. The built-in Lite version of the scan software worked fine, too. While not super light, it's small and light enough to carry in your briefcase once in awhile. Plus, it's easy to put away if you need some desk space.

The only complaint I have is that there's no document bin to catch your documents after they've been scanned. They just slide out of the front bottom. The document feeder is pretty sensitive so If there's an obstruction, slight uneven resistance can cause the scan to skew or distort. I suppose placing it at the edge of a desk and having a basket catch the sheets as they come out my work.

I bought this scanner with some trepidation. But I needed something to scan a lot of my documents at home. I wasn't disappointed.

When I first saw it, I was quite surprised at the small size of it (very small footprint on a desk). I thought I may have made a bad decision in purchasing this device. However, I figured I'd give it a shot. It was VERY easy to set up. I was up and running within minutes. It easily converted pages to PDF and did a decent job of converting the scans to be text-searchable. It'll scan up to 8.875" paper, but anything over 8.5" needs to feed over top of the left paper guide. It takes some care, but is do-able. When I first sent some documents through, the speed was okay until I realized it was set for two-sided paper it quickly scanned both sides on the same pass. Soon, I was converting a lot of my papers to PDF bank statements, bills, receipts, manuals. I have gone almost totally paperless at home now. Emptied out a four-drawer file cabinet and a lot of other papers to boot. With a Mac, it is so easy to search for scanned papers by title or contents.

I have not tried the business card software. My only concern is the parts are a bit flimsy and can easily break if due care is not used. I have passed through several thousand pages and no issues so far. I don't know how long the separation pad will last, but it seems to be working fine so far. One USB plug is all one needs; however, by adding a second "power only" USB cable (comes with the scanner), the scanner works much faster with two-sided scanning. With two USB plugs, one-sided scanning does get a little faster, but not much. But there is a huge difference with two-sided scanning.

One thing on the (kind of) downside it doesn't do too well in fixing skewed pages. And although it does OCR recognition well enough to search for words within the PDF documents it creates, Acrobat Pro does a much better job. And Acrobat Pro fixes all skewed pages quite well but then again Acrobat Pro costs a lot more and should be able to show up any canned scanner software. If you want pristine scanned documents, you may need to go the route of the scanner software and Acrobat. But for most uses, the scanner software should be sufficient and I wouldn't take away any stars from the rating because of this minor issue.

I highly recommend this scanner for average household use and on-the-road use.

Jim

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Recently purchased, only using for the last few days. I was a little hesitant reading some of the earlier reviews but this could not be easier to use. Plugs right in to my wife's MacBook, 1.83GHz, Core 2 Duo, 10.6.5, 4GBram. The program built into the scanner, CaptureOn One Touch Lite, loads every time, and it easy to use, whether one or two usb ports are used for power. It is very fast, scans even in duplex mode. I ordered the power cord and carrying case separately (not yet received) but I don't see it being much faster with wall power than it already is with usb power.

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This is a great little device that doesn't take up much desk space and works fast and well.

The device DOES absolutely work with OS X 10.7 Lion, but you have to download the driver update on Canon's web site. After installing the driver without the scanner plugged in, you have to reboot your Mac (I know, this feels like Windows!). The driver install package does not tell you of this detail.

One other unclear detail that caused me much grief is that the scanner has a little switch on the back called "Auto-Start". If it's in the ON position, the device mounts itself on your mac as a volume with a "lite" version of their scanning software on it. This lets you scan on any mac that you connect it to without installing any drivers.

However, if you want to use the full Canon software you install on your Mac, or you want to use it with any other TWAIN-compliant software, you need to have this switch in the OFF position, or else the scanner will fail to recognize in OS X.

Canon's software was okay, but I found this great little program PDFScanner in the Mac App Store which works great for quickly scanning to PDF and filing. It was only $15.

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I read all of the reviews before buying his product. I needed a portable scanner for my business that looked professional, was light weight, durable, and reliable. I was thinking about the year since I placed my order for three of the canon 150 Scantini. It is not normal for me to write a review on a product, who has the time? Each of my associates use this unit daily. I have had no complaints from them at all. As for me personally, the title says it all. I love the Mac products because they are simple to use and always work. This Canon scanner works the same. I have Never had a paper jam, I have never had it to not work. I plug it in and it is ready to scan. I used this product on Snow leopard for a year and just upgraded to LION. I have had no issues with either. I wish my portable HP printer was as thinkless to use. Canon imageFORMULA P-150 Portable Document Scanner(Scan-tini)