Product: Doxie Go + Wi-Fi
Price: $249
Rating: Recommend*
When we spotted the Doxie Go + Wi-Fi at Macworld 2012 we knew we had to give it a try for ourselves. Having a scanner, especially one that will scan to the iPad, is very useful, but not everyone, especially us apartment dwellers, has space for a flatbed scanner. The small profile of the Doxie Go and the versatility offered with the addition of Wi-Fi made it a product that we could hardly wait to put through its paces...
Much lighter than I remembered, the Doxie Go + Wi-Fi has a slim design with a built-in battery, making it the perfect scanner for those who need one while they travel. The unit charges via USB and, when not using the Wi-Fi feature, can scan about 100 pages without needing to be re-charged. The device also has a built-in memory, which makes scanning multiple receipts in one location before uploading at another a snap.
Initial setup took slightly longer than anticipated, as the device needed to be charged before it could be used. The setup of the scanner and the setup of the Wi-Fi component, which is done via Eye-Fi, are two separate processes, and it's good to go through the Doxie setup first before tackling the Eye-Fi. Setting up the scanner on both my Mac and PC was a snap, and i only ran into issues when I did not let the scanner charge long enough and tackled the Eye-Fi component first.
I cannot stress enough the importance of making sure the scanner is fully charged and following the setup instructions to the letter! Once I had a fully charged scanner and the Eye-Fi card set up correctly, the device worked like a dream. While you may be like me and love figuring things out on your own sans instructions, the Eye-Fi card is very particular with how it's set up, and it will make your life much easier to follow the instructions. I'd also advise that, if you're like me and do most of your scanning on specific wireless networks, you set the device up on those networks and do not allow it to create its own. Once I disengaged the card from creating its own network I was able to send scans to my iOS devices without issue.
The software makes it very easy to configure your scanner and select where you want your scans to go. In addition to saving locally on your computer, you can also select to have scans go directly to Evernote, Flickr, or the cloud. We particularly like the ability to scan to Evernote as it really helps us to stay organized when it comes to receipts. Having this scanner in our household is going to make tax time 2012 so much easier since we don't really have an excuse anymore for floating and lost receipts.
Once the device and software have been set up, scanning is very very easy. You literally just feed the paper and the scanner picks it up and scans while feeding it through. I've tested it on both computer and iOS devices and it has worked like a charm, regardless of where it is scanning to. In addition to having it import receipts to Evernote, I've also really enjoyed scanning in images to work with on my iPad, since my graphic tablet kicked the bucket. It's quite impressive how the scans just pop into my iPad and the product delivers exactly what it set out to.
Bottom Line: While I wish that the wireless component was built into the scanner, which would make set-up much easier, I recommend the product despite having to use the Eye-Fi card. It's a great product and the perfect solution for organizing receipts, scanning the occasional photo, and for those who want to scan to an iOS device.
Pros: Excellent overall performance, good looking simple design, when coupled with the Eye-Fi apps will scan to iOS devices, perfect for occasional scanning.
Cons: Eye-Fi setup can be a bit tricky, requires a long charge before first use, no option to scan while plugged in.
Our Ratings:
Strong Recommend
Recommend*
Weak Recommend
Don't Recommend
Full Disclosure Notice: Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes. Our full notice is here.
(Images: Joelle Alcaidinho)
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I find these types of scanners obsolete. There are plenty of Scan Apps that allow you to use the camera on the iPhone/iPad to "scan" the image. Good ones will low you to add signatures and save as a PDF. I use it pretty often and it works fantastic. Apps are the future.
agree with lemoncrsh.. for mobile use applications will replace portable items.. second.. that is not exactly pocket sized.. and not all of us carry a bag with us on a regular basis.. third.. in order for it to be even slightly feasible even in the home.. the price needs to come down significantly.. you can get scanners, all in ones including printer and fax, for much less price..
really the only aspect i like of this is that it auto feeds the paper you are trying to scan regardless of size... ill pass on it.. and stick with my smartphone
Looks like the Doxie Go + WiFi is a $249 bundle not the $199 stated. You have to buy the Go and add the Eye-Fi at checkout.
Had to search for it as its not in the store. Bottom of page under Everything’s included
I agree that phone camera scanners are great for on the go when you need something quick but I don't think that is the purpose of this scanner. I am getting one of these mainly to scan in images (although not with the EyeFi). I will use it when I visit family members to go through their pictures and scan them to the internal memory for when I get home (using this for genealogy research).
@lemoncrsh: A camera phone just won't cut it if you want to digitize your information and go paperless -- you'll almost always end up with distorted, discolored, unfocused images that are far different than using a real scanner. It's like taking a picture of a picture. With a camera phone, you need to be in a bright environment, spend minutes lining up the image and focusing it, and then spend minutes adjusting your image before you get something that's even remotely usable. Hardly an easy way to go paperless!
A scanner like Doxie provides a controlled environment that provides a real, digital copy of your image. With Doxie, you get an easy way to scan paper, photos, and receipts, and the included software makes it easy to send scans to the cloud and create searchable PDFs with advanced ABBYY® OCR technology.
@residentgeek There's no need to clutter up your desk with wires and big equipment when you can have all of your scanning needs met with one, adorable, portable device. And with Doxie, you can scan anywhere, no computer required!
@namaeb Doxie Go is $199; Doxie Go + Wi-Fi is $249. If you don't need to transfer items via Wi-Fi then the Doxie Go model is perfect for you. Also note, if using an iPad you can seamlessly transfer data over an Apple Camera Connection Kit!
If you've got questions about Doxie or going paperless, we're always happy to help at hello@getdoxie.com.
- Amanda @ Doxie Customer Care
Yeah, I never had any luck "scanning" things with a camera phone app.
But will it also shred with the flip of a switch?
@Talby Doxie is a scanner, not a shredder.
I too find that scanning via an iPad app is only helpful to a point. Having to hold the iPad steady over what I want to scan has yet to result in anything I'd use professionally and is acceptable mostly for keeping track of recipes I find in magazines.
This does look like something I might be able to travel with. But I also have a working scanner and am trying to let it die of natural causes.
This review tells me nothing, other than what a pain in the neck Eye-Fi is. I'd like to know what the PPI/DPI is on this thing and other technical details, like what formats can I scan to, JPEG, PDF?