Scanner question-ScanSnap

[John3cpa]

I'm a small sole prop office doing about 200 returns a year plus payroll and bookkeeping. Has anyone had experience with the Fujitsu ScanSnap 1300 and its bundled Rack2 software?? The price looks good, maybe too good?

Thanks

[anu31402]

I have ScanSnap S510. No problem at all. Works like magic!


Kay, NY

[PIGLEE]

I have a Fujitsu 6130 and I love it best thing I have ever gotten.

Before that I bought a Scan Snap, but it was not twain compatible, so I paid the extra for the 6130 and have never been sorry. You really need it to be twain compatible. I thought I could work around it, but NO.

The Rack 2. Is a nice little program, but I to use it on two computers I needed 2 programs. OK I bought 2. But then I had computer problems, and had to reload it, well you can only load it 2 times per disk, and you have to buy a new disk. I already had Paper Port, so I am using that. The other problem with Rack 2, is that the program gives each file a weird name, so you don't really know what it is, and it can not be used in any other program. I did like their bookshelf, and notebook setup, it was very easy to look up and see the pages.

[DTS]

Scanner

Canon DR-2010C and it's fantastic.

[MAJ]

Scanner --- Looks impressive.

I have ScanSnap S510. No problem at all. Works like magic!


Kay, NY

Well.. .I must admit - I wasn't even in the market for a scanner that I knew of. Now that I've been keep all the clients documents digital and looking at the abilities it looks impressive for the price. $270 approximate and can scan many times faster than my current beast..... Just told the wife I think I'll be looking for a new scanner before next tax season kicks in... The sooner the better I guess so I can work the bugs out...

Thanks...
Now the 6130 looks great too but that looked to be around $800 -- Hmm.... 1300 or 1500.
Have to start the research and review hunting...

[S T]

See Specs

See the specs and check your software,
As I understand while Scan Snap is a great little scanner, it is NOT Twain Compliant, I know I looked at it and can not use it with my software. Maybe if your are up on being a Tech you can make it work, I am not.

My Tax Software specifically states for scanning purposes and converting to PDF that I have to have a "Twain compliant" scanner.

Have to love all of the fine print!

Do a search here on the Board, we have many discussions on Scanners in the last year or so.

Sandy

[taxxcpa]

Snap scan

See the specs and check your software,
As I understand while Scan Snap is a great little scanner, it is NOT Twain Compliant, I know I looked at it and can not use it with my software.

Sandy

Since it is not twain compliant, I just scan everything into a file, then cut and paste it into Drake Document manager. It takes very little time for the extra step, but if you do thousands of returns, that little extra time could be a problem. To me it still beats using a flat bed scanner and scanning one page at a time.

[geekgirldany]

I enable drag and drop in the drake document manager. As soon as the papers are scanned into the ScanSnap Organizer I drag the file over to DDM.

[veritas]

fujitu 6130

Lacerte is selling for $599

[taxxcpa]

Drag and drop

I enable drag and drop in the drake document manager. As soon as the papers are scanned into the ScanSnap Organizer I drag the file over to DDM.

Is that any easier than cut-and-paste?
I scan everything into my Document file in a folder for scans. Then I have to open DDM and locate the specific client, then the year e.g. 2009, then paste the items I've scanned.

The time it takes to scroll thru the DDM to find the place to paste the scanned documents is the most time-consuming.

[geekgirldany]

Well what I do is when I print out the return I open DDM while in that client's return and it will go to their name. So I don't have to hunt for their folder. I then run the documents through scansnap and it automatically opens the scansnap organizer and after the scan is finish... it will jump down to that file in the organizer. I then just drag that file into the client's folder in DDM and delete it in Scansnap Organizer.

I would like to scan directly into DDM but since I paid $400 bucks for this scanner it will get used

[taxxcpa]

Drag and drop

Well what I do is when I print out the return I open DDM while in that client's return and it will go to their name. So I don't have to hunt for their folder. I then run the documents through scansnap and it automatically opens the scansnap organizer and after the scan is finish... it will jump down to that file in the organizer. I then just drag that file into the client's folder in DDM and delete it in Scansnap Organizer.

I would like to scan directly into DDM but since I paid $400 bucks for this scanner it will get used

I appreciate your making me aware of this.
I tried the drag-and-drop. I haven't decided whether it is faster than the cut-and-paste method. I think you could save one step by cutting and pasting rather than dragging--then you wouldn't have to delete it in the organizer.

The part I hadn't considered was opening the client in DDM first, but if I open it, then minimize it, then either drag or cut-and-paste the scanned documents it is faster than the way I had been doing it.

[AZ-Tax]

Twain Compatible?

I have a Fujitsu 6130 and I love it best thing I have ever gotten.

Before that I bought a Scan Snap, but it was not twain compatible, so I paid the extra for the 6130 and have never been sorry. You really need it to be twain compatible. I thought I could work around it, but NO.

The Rack 2. Is a nice little program, but I to use it on two computers I needed 2 programs. OK I bought 2. But then I had computer problems, and had to reload it, well you can only load it 2 times per disk, and you have to buy a new disk. I already had Paper Port, so I am using that. The other problem with Rack 2, is that the program gives each file a weird name, so you don't really know what it is, and it can not be used in any other program. I did like their bookshelf, and notebook setup, it was very easy to look up and see the pages.

How do I know whether my laptop with Win 7 requires a "twain compatible" scanner?

[erchess]

It isn't your computer

How do I know whether my laptop with Win 7 requires a "twain compatible" scanner?

but rather your tax prep software that probably requires a twain compliant scanner. Don't rush into this however because there is another standard out there and your software could conceivably require the other or perhaps tolerate either. The way to find out is to ask tech support at your software company.