VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Portable Scanner

I saw this in an ad and bought it almost as an impulse buy---at Staples---but it is cheaper at Amazon. If you have tons of paper to keep track of (I do) you will kiss this item every day. You need a micro sd card (unless you want to use it with the cord to connect to your computer---you can do it that way, but its a hassle to keep track of that cord). The card is $9. I slip it in and push the button to turn it on (you can choose with another button whether you want it to be high or low resolution). A green light will come on and you slide the wand over your paper. Thats it. Then push the button and turn it off. That creates a file so that when you pop the SD card into your computer, it will show up as a storage device. You click on it and it will have each thing that you scanned in a separate file. Then you can save that to MS word as a document and rename it. When you open it, you have a scan of the document (JPEG) and this is the best part---you trash your original. I went through a pile of bills and bank statements, which I would normally file---grrrr and never be able to find if I need them. Now I tear them up and have the file right on my computer. I just went to the bank to deposit some checks and I scanned each one before I handed it to her. Soooo awesome. And if you get those flimsy receipts that fade in a month, scan them immediately and trash them. Its just so awesome. It comes with a CD so I thought there would need to be some sort of software put into my computer---no. I do already have MS word, so you need that if you are going to save it there, but they give you a lot of other ways to save the document. You also have some sort of a white sheet of paper you have to run the thing across to white balance it. I did that at the get go and had this terrible feeling (what with the CD) that it was going to be a nightmare to get this thing figured out. But its cake. And the results are so amazing, you will want stock in this company. I LOVE MINE---best thing I have purchased this year!!! and I buy a lot)

I just got this on my doorstep today and I couldnt wait to try it out. My math teacher only uses the new version of our math book (I got an older edition to save money). The concepts are still the same, but with some changes to the exercises. So in order to do the correct homework problems (he only assigns a few problems per chapter) without having to buy the new edition book, I wanted to be able to scan pages from a peers book. From the test scans that I did with my book (which I will post), I think this will be perfect for me. I dont need super clean scans -- I just need to be able to read the content. I just need to figure out how to scan the entire page without the edge getting cut off. With a little more playing, I should be able to get it no problem. There are also guidelines on either side of the device, which are very helpful to keep the scan straight and ensure that you are actually scanning the content you want. As it says in the description, the files are saved as JPEG. Super easy to connect the scanner to my laptop via the usb cable provided. No software needed -- its recognized as a storage device. So I just drag the files to my desired folder on my laptop, then delete them off the memory of the scanner (or really, the microSD card). It also comes with a carrying bag that has a little bit of extra room in case you want to keep extra batteries along with it (barely enough room for the usb cable if you squish), and a wipe cloth to protect the scanner part of the device. I can see how this scanner can be very useful in the future and not just for my original purpose. I seriously love being able to scan just about anything. I watched the YouTube video about this scanner, and I can definitely see myself scanning curtains, carpet, wallpaper, tables, etc to be able to have accurate colors and textures for decorating and other craft projects (as long as its flat enough to scan). Usually, its been guessing from memory since pictures from our digital camera arent very accurate in color because of lighting in the room or the flash of the camera. For fun, I also scanned other things around me, including a place mat, my curtains, and my leg (well, really my pajama pants) -- Ill post these pictures as well. Overall, I am happy with this. Ill have to see how this plays out in the long run, but I would recommend it for anyone that especially needs a portable way to scan book pages or random things like fabric patterns and the like. *Edit: This might be a duh for most people, but I finally realized that I wasnt getting the edges of the pages I scanned because the rollers on the bottom werent being engaged, which is necessary for the scanner to start scanning. There doesnt seem to be a way for me to completely scan a page out of a textbook without missing pieces, so now I know I will have to scan a page twice (flipping the orientation of the scanner) in order to get the entire page. Ill post another picture of getting the edge of the page.

This is a review for the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand portable scanner. I rarely write reviews about products, only if it is really good, or really bad. In this case I am happy to say - this is a really good product. It works just as well, if not better then advertised. This was a Mothers Day gift to my wife from my kids (dad bought it, lol) and she loves it as well. By the end of the weekend, she had scanned every picture in every photo album we have, and we have alot of pictures!! I have read many reviews about not only this portable scanner, but others as well, and alot of them, the Magic Wand included had many negative reviews which I do not understand at all?? Possibly they got a bad unit? But the complaints they had are some of the things I like best about this scanner. It was said multiple times that if you dont keep your hand perfectly steady when scanning something, that the image comes out really bad. Im sorry b/c I know I dont have a steady hand, and the scans come out perfect 99% of the time. This device is so easy to use, my 10 yr old uses it all of the time to scan pics out of magazines, and stuff, and they come out really good. I have even started using it to scan stuff for work, like my job orders, and inspection papers. Again - perfect. The only thing that I would change is that it would be nice if it came with the micro SD card, and an adapter. Even though it doesnt, they are relatively cheap at a Wal-Mart or Target, etc.. I have an 8GB card in mine, and it has plenty of room - and then when you get close to full, just dump it onto your computer HDD. Overall, I would defanitely recommend this product to anyone. Great value, especially for the price!

My intention in purchasing this magic wand scanner was to get a good reproduction of a pinball playfield so I could create a vector file and reprint the art. Unfortunately, this is not the tool for my job. The package contained the wand, a cloth sleeve to store it, and a USB cable to hook up to a PC. A Micro SD card is not included in the base model, so that will need to be purchased separately as there is no on-board storage. I eagerly brought this out to the shop where the pinball machines are kept. I wanted to get a proportional scan of the entire playfield art of a pinball machine to reproduce it. Unfortunately, it was impossible to take any scan and get the image to come out with no distortion. Any small imperfections in the movement of the scanner will throw off any consistency in the image. This could come from minor imperfections in the surface of the image being scanned (bumps etc) or issues with the guide wheels not properly moving in sync with each other. In the end, trying to stitch multiple scans together into a single image was impossible due to flaws in the scans. My use was very specialized and it didnt work out for the use I needed. That being said, the color reproduction and the resolution was actually quite excellent. Using this to scan photos or documents would be a no-brainer. I would highly recommend this for scanning items that fit within the 8.5 parameters and do not require absolute perfection. I still plan on keeping it for those purposes.

THE SCANNER I GOT WAS USED ONCE OR TWICE. IT WAS ALL I COULD AFFORD. I HAD LIKE THE PRICE. I RATHER HAD ONE I COULD GOT BETTER BUT YOU HAVE TO GET WHAT YOU HAVE TO GET. THE SELLER SAID CAME WITH THE CABLES, SD CARD, AND A COVER BUT NO CLOTH, NO NEW BATTERIES. THE BATTERIES WERE DEAD. THERE WAS NO DVD , NO INSTRUCTIONS, NO WAY TO TELL HOW TO USE IT. IT ARRIVE ON TIME BY THIS SELLER AND IT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. ONLY THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. THAT WAS NOT SUCH A BIG DEAL. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND SO MUCH BUYING THIS BUT IT WORKS AND IT DOES NOT WORK BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE OLD PICTURES FROM YOUR MOMS HOUSE YOU WANT TO SCAN YOU NEED TO FIND A GOOD FLAT SURFACE AND FIND A LITTLE PIECE OF TAPE THAT IS NOT SO STICKY THAT WILL DESTROY THE PICTURE. IT WILL WORK THAT WAY SOME. YOU ALSO NEED TO TRY NOT TO SHAKE YOUR HAND TOO MUCH. I ALMOST THROWED THIS MACHINE OUT THE WINDOW TRYING SO MANY TIMES. BEST THINGS SCAN SAME PICTURE A FEW TIMES AND GET THE BEST ONE OUT OF IT. THE CABLES CAME WITH IT DID NOT WORK, I HAD TO USE THE PLUGABLE HIGH SPEED USB 2.0 CARD READER THAT I ALSO GOT FROM AMAZON. I KNEW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE MY FRIEND HAD A CARD READER LIKE THIS. IT HAS THREE SLOTS FOR DIFFERENT CARD SIZES. THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY I COULD SEE MY PICTURES CABLES DID THAT CAME WITH IT DID NOT . I DONT KNOW WHY MAYBE ITS MY COMPUTER. IF I COULD I WOULD OF BOUGHT ONE BETTER BUT IT WILL DO FOR A START BETTER THAN A DIGITAL CAMERA THAT I HAD THAT DID NOT WORK SO WELL ON PICTURES. THESE SCANNER PRICES ARE VERY HIGH. YOU CAN TRY TO USE THIS FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT BUT A OFFICE SCANNER WOULD BE MORE SUGGEST ON BUYING. THIS PORTABLE SCANNER WELL THE VUPOINT IS GOOD IF YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. I HAD TO FIND MY INFO ON THE INTERNET THROUGH WEBSITES AND YOUTUBE SINCE SELLER GAVE ME NO INSTRUCTIONS. I DID MY HOMEWORK BEFORE BUYING BUT THIS WAS THE CHEAPEST I COULD AFFORD TILL I CAN GET A BETTER ONE IN FUTURE. WHEN YOU CANT BRING YOUR BIG SCANNER THAT IS ON YOUR DESK THIS IS BETTER A PORATBLES SCANNER IF YOU NEED GO MOMS HOUSE WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CANT TAKE HOME THOSE OLD PICTURES BECAUSE SHE HAS NO EXTRA COPIES. I SAY ITS LONG ENOUGH FOR A NOTEBOOK SIZE TO SCAN. I WOULD GIVE MORE STARS BUT SELLER LEFT ME IN THE DARK BUT I GUESS I READ NO INSTRUCTIONS WITH IT SINCE IT WAS NOT NEW. LIKE I SAY IT WILL WORK BUT IT CAN BE FUSTRATED JUST PUT A LITTLE TAPE NOT SO STICK, A GOOD, AND A FLAT SURFACE AND IT SHOULD WORK SOME . THIS SCANNER PRICE SHOULD BE MORE LOWER.

I am in the midst of tracing my family tree and was looking for something like this that I could pass over a delicate document without worries of having to try to feed it through a regular portable scanning device. Plus, there are so many things that you just cant feed through or lay flat on a scanner. This tool is perfect for the day when I can go to a historical archive and need to scan a document. That said, this scanner did not come with very good directions - in fact it came with hardly any directions at all. It came furnished with batteries (but not the microSD card - youll need to supply your own). I thought the batteries were dead because when I clicked the power button nothing happened. It took a few minutes for me to figure out that you have to hold the power button down for 3-5 seconds to turn it on and to turn it off. Youll also need a paperclip to put in this teeny tiny hole near the microSD card slot so you can format the card the first time you use it. After I figured out how the scanner worked I scanned two items (I posted both in the pictures section - an image of Time magazine that came out really well on the first try, and a scan of the directions that came with this scanner - printed matter doesnt seem to scan as easily as pictures do). They were automatically saved in .jpeg format, which is great because you can edit what you scan later. For example, in the genealogy field, you may scan more of a page than you need - many archived documents have references to more than one family that you can edit off the document, saving only the portion you want to keep. On the whole, I am really pleased with this scanner. It has little rollers on it that roll smoothly over the surface youre scanning. It was easy to upload the images I scanned onto my computer using the USB cord provided. It came with a pouch to store it in and a fine cloth to clean it with. The lack of directions would be my only complaint. I was able to figure things out, but it might be a little harder for someone who is not as comfortable with this type of technology to set up on their own. So if you arent very tech savvy, still buy this gadget, but have a tech savvy friend help you set it up. (see my two scans in the pictures section above)

I purchased the

You could rate this device anywhere from 1 star to 5 star. If you expect perfect machine quality scans every time, forget it. If you want an EXTREMELY compact, EXTREMELY simple item that will produce readable scans with a bit of practice, for personal use, then it goes up to 5 stars. At best, you may get a few scans with almost no ripples. Maybe. More likely, you will get scans that have a certain amount of jitter or waviness, but are readable for yourself. (Id be dubious that you could expect a lot of great optical character conversions). Its extremely easy to take to a library or in a briefcase - light, a few ounces, and 1x1x12. If you want a more-or-less decent record of documents or pages without carrying a real photocopier or scanner, then this is the thing. In our family, my wife and I both have home offices but only one system with a flatbed scanner. Ill use this often to quick image a couple pages of one or another book that I need at the last minute before a business trip. If I was going to image 30 pages, or use images clipped into Powerpoint for a business presentation, Id (politely) kick my wife out of the other office to use a flatbed for fifteen minutes. This will be the budget, ten-second, one page back up scanner in the more remote home office. Net-net: Happy I bought it, worth the low price for certain key moments. Its a bit of a nuisance to buy a separate tiny memory card but theyre cheap enough nowadays.

For what it does, I dont think there is anything out there that does it better, but really that isnt saying too much. I bought this scanner as a substitute for a textbook since it the text book cost over $200, and this thing only cost about $100, after I got the case and Micro SD card. Unfortunately, not only was scanning the pages tedious, but a lot of the times the scanner didnt line up right and the scans were horrible, also there is only about a 1/2 inch on each side of the scanner where it wont scan, but that 1/2 inch bit me in the but to no end. And though it is marked where the scanner will stop, it is just a complete pain working around it when scanning a book or even notebook; especially if they are the more expensive notebooks, like five-star, and have a big ring holding the pages together. Honestly, after 2 chapters of scanning the textbook I bought the thing for, I pretty much gave up and just bought the thing. I didnt feel like returning the product so I kept it around for copying notes from classmates when I miss class or for sending in handwritten homework via e-mail, but honestly these are very rare occasions. On the plus side, you do get better at scanning, and if you are scanning a single document on a flat surface it should work flawless, but this is just rarely the case. So if you dont mind not having the last inch of a page when scanning a notebook or textbook, or if you are just going to use this to scan documents on a flat-surface, then I can recommend this product; otherwise it would be best to steer clear until something less fallible comes along.

The thing is really ingenious but you need to have realistic expectations for it. For example, it isnt meant to replace a flatbed scanner for high quality scans of photos. It is perfect for scanning things that dont fit on a flatbed scanner and where the scan is intended for reference rather than graphic design work (though once you get the knack of it, you *can* get some good legible scans of photos). Case in point: I bought it to scan the liner notes and timing cues from my 2000+ collection of classical LPs stowed away in my basement. An LP cover is 12 by 12 but a typical flatbed scanner only scans at 11 by 8.5. It also means hauling heavy stacks of LPs up two flights of stairs to where the scanner is (Its not practical to haul the scanner to where the LPs are). So the VuPoint solves the problem. While its maximum scan width is 8.5, the length of the scan is up to you. It works well scanning the LP label as well (thats where most track timing cues are noted). To sum up, well worth the money and a huge timesaver. My scans of liner notes are good enough to import into OmniPage Pro and convert to text with very few text read errors. One other observation: Dont be put off by how many of these show up for sale as refurbished. I have a theory on that: to use the VuPoint you need to insert a Micro SD card. However, it must be inserted face down, which is counter intuitive. The slim instructions for the VuPoint dont point this out. I put the card in right side up and of course the scanner would not work. Once I figured it out everything was fine but I suspect many people have presumed their VuPoint is defective and return them.