The Xerox DocuMate 152 Pass-Through Desktop Scanner

While upgrading our computer systems, we purchase a new scanner to replace a HP Scan Jet 4370. Now the HP wasn't that bad of a scanner, but the new Xerox DocuMate 152 Scanner that we have can do far more in a quicker time period. As far as scanners go, the DocuMate 152 doesn't look a lot like your typical scanner, but has more resemblance to many of the Epson printers. It has a the document feeder in the same place the paper feeder would be, and it takes in the document much like a piece of paper would be to be printed upon. If my description wasn't spot on enough, take a quick glance at the product picture at the top of the page, which does a great job of illustrating what this scanner looks like.

Now there is a variety of cool features with this scanner that I can talk about in this review, but I want to mention briefly what some of the best ones happen to be. This scanner is able to scan both sides of the paper at the same time, it is able to scan in color, it can send documents straight to a printer or another computer on the network, it can be scanned into many different file types (Word, PDF, GIF...etc.), and it is extremely easy to use. With all of the positives that this scanner has to offer, the best attribute that it offers is the ability to help a first-time-user with barely any hassle. For instance, if someone has already set up the scanner, the next person can just walk over to it, insert their document, press simplex or duplex, and the machine scans it through. The software on the computer immediately realizes that you are scanning, and brings up a menu of programs that you can put your job into including things like Word, Adobe, or anything else that the computer may have already in its arsenal. Without searching around for how to save it, you can just click on the type of file you want it to be (pictures for each type) and the machine does the rest.

Out of the box, this scanner is very easy to set up, and it takes up barely any space at a width of only 13 inches, a height of 6 inches, and a depth of just over 6 inches. That means it can sit up on a shelf, or in the corner, and when you feel the need to use it, you can just pop the paper into the scanner and go to work. This one sits at a work station so that anyone who needs to scan something can do it, and we haven't had any problems with first-time users not being able to figure it out. The scanner comes in a nice silver color, with very few buttons on the front that can confuse anyone. There is a button for simplex (one sided documents), one for duplex (two sided documents), one for the function to alter your scan setting, and a number to show you what setting has been selected. That function button allows you to choose if you want to send something to scan, PDF, print, e-mail, fax, word, archive, custom, or paint (numbered 1-9). If you have used it for a while and understand everything the numbers remove the need to click on a file-type after the scan has been made, but if you are a rookie, you don't even have to worry about all of this. Just keep it on the "scan" setting, and choose your own adventure once the scan has been completed. As with any scanner, you can also choose to adjust the resolution, brightness, and contrast of the page, as well as whether you want the scan to be done in black & white, grey scale, or in color. Don't worry if you cannot decide ahead of time, because once you have scanned something, you can go back and edit the settings to fit your mood or requirements.

This is a pass-through scanner, operating on a USB Interface, with an optical resolution of 1200dpi. It works on a Dell computer here with Microsoft Windows XP, but can also be used on anything newer or including Windows 2000. It's a PC scanner, so if you are looking into Macintosh peripherals, this one isn't going to do it for you. The document tray can hold scanning jobs of up to 50 pages at one time, and when it takes the paper through, it does so rather quickly. The information says that it can do up to 30 images per minute in duplex mode (15 pages) and can do so without being monitored to prevent paper jams. The DocuMate hasn't jammed in the time that we have owned it, and I have to say that this is a high praise for a machine taking in as much paper as this. It also comes with a one year warranty just in case anything ever goes wrong, and only weighs 6.5 pounds if you are considering moving it around frequently in your office. With the scanner you get a 122 page (thick) manual that will lead you through every conceivable use of the scanner, and if you ever have a problem with something, the index does well in providing a searchable reference within the text. I am not kidding when I say text either, because it is really an 8.5x11 book of reference material. I admit to using it a few times in order to get even more out of this scanner, but it isn't needed to complete any of the basic functions of this machine. The Xerox DocuMate 152 Scanner is one of those office tools that just makes life so much easier to anyone that ever needs to use a scanner. Being able to scan something into Adobe Creator in mere seconds has shaved a lot of time off my scanning time. With the ease of set-up and simplicity of use I give this machine a high recommendation. With all of the other intangibles and great attributes that this scanner provides, I raise that grade to the highest I can give a computer peripheral.