The magic wand portable scanner is a versatile and convenient tool that allows users to easily digitize documents, photos, and artwork on the go. It is a handheld device that resembles a magic wand and works by being waved over the document to capture the image. The main idea behind the magic wand portable scanner is its portability and ease of use. Unlike traditional flatbed scanners, which require the document to be fed through the scanner, the magic wand scanner allows users to simply wave the device over the page. This makes it a great option for scanning documents while traveling or for individuals who do not have access to a traditional scanner. The magic wand scanner is also equipped with various features and settings that enhance its functionality.
The Magic Wand earned another low score in our software testing. First of all, the software does not have optical character recognition, so you cannot create PDFs with searchable text. Secondly, you'll have to use third-party drivers if you want to use the Magic Wand with a Mac, and thirdly it isn't easy to figure out where your PDF files are being saved.
We were never able to get an actual speed reading from the scanner because we could never get to the end of our 10-page speed test document without at least a few of the pages looking totally unreadable. The VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand With AutoFeed Dock PDSDK-ST470-VP is both a highly portable wand scanner and, when mounted in its dock, a manual-feed scanner, too.
The magic wand scanner is also equipped with various features and settings that enhance its functionality. It typically includes different scanning modes such as color, black and white, and grayscale, allowing users to choose the appropriate setting for their specific needs. Additionally, some models have built-in OCR (optical character recognition) technology, which enables the scanner to convert scanned text into editable and searchable files.
VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand With AutoFeed Dock (PDSDK-ST470-VP) Review
The VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand With AutoFeed Dock (PDSDK-ST470-VP) is both a highly portable wand scanner and, when mounted in its dock, a manual-feed scanner, too.
MSRP $140.00 $169.88 at Amazon $195.00 Save $25.12PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.
Pros
- Scans without a computer.
- Works as both wand scanner by itself and as a manual-feed scanner with its dock.
Cons
- Comes without required microSD memory card.
Similar in many ways to the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand With AutoFeed Dock (PDS-ST450-VP) that it's in the process of replacing, the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand with AutoFeed Dock PDSDK-ST470-VP ($140 list) offers the same dual personality as a both a wand scanner and manual-feed scanner, but delivers one key extra. Thanks to its 1.5-inch color LCD, you can see a thumbnail of each scan and zoom in to check scan quality on the spot. That's enough to make it a lot more useful for scanning originals that you won't be able to rescan easily later if the first scan didn't come out well.
Being able to preview a thumbnail image is, admittedly, a second-best solution. Much better is being able to send the scan to a smartphone or tablet by Wi-Fi to preview it at a larger size, as you can with the Brother DSmobile 820W manual-feed scanner that I recently reviewed or the Editors' Choice VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Wi-Fi PDSWF-ST44-VP .
You Can Trust Our ReviewsSince 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Read our editorial mission & see how we test.
That said, a thumbnail preview is a lot better than nothing. And in combination with the dock that turns this wand scanner into a manual-feed scanner, it makes the PDSDK-ST470-VP($169.88 at Amazon) one of the better choices for wand scanners.
Basics and Setup
Much like the VuPoint PDS-ST450-VP, the PDSDK-ST470-VP scanner offers the same portability you get with any wand scanner, with both a small size, at 1.1 by 10.5 by 1.5 inches (HWD), and light weight, at seven ounces.
Similar Products
GoodBrother DSmobile 820W
The dock weighs another one pound five ounces, which is enough that you might not want to bring it with you. It also needs a power source, which means you have to connect it by the supplied USB cable to either a computer or the supplied power adaptor, with the adaptor plugged into an outlet. The good news is that even though the weight and need for a power source make the dock less portable than it could be, it earns points for being easy to use. I found I could snap the scanner into place or remove it in less than a second.
In addition to its dock, USB cable, and power block, the scanner comes with a permanently installed rechargeable battery and Abbyy FineReader 9.0 Sprint for optical character recognition (OCR). Unfortunately, it doesn't come with microSD or microSDHC card. That's important to know before you buy the scanner, since you can't scan without one. According to VuPoint Solutions, you can use cards with up to a 32GB capacity.
Setup is easy. Plug in a memory card, charge the battery by connecting to a computer or power outlet, and optionally install FineReader on your computer. When the battery finishes charging, you're ready to scan.
Scanning
The scanner offers slightly different resolution choices depending on whether you're using it by itself or with the dock. As a wand scanner you can set the resolution to 300, 600, or 1,050 pixels per inch (ppi), set the color mode to color or grayscale, and set the file format to JPG, image PDF for A4 size paper, or image PDF for letter-size paper. Snap it into the dock, and the color mode and file format choices remain the same, but the resolution choices change to 300, 600, and 1,200 ppi.
After choosing your settings, you can scan as a wand scanner by staring with the scanner at the top or side of a page, pressing the scan button, and then sweeping down or across the page. If you're using the dock, you feed the page far enough for the rollers to grab it, and let go. Using the dock, I timed the scan at roughly 11 to 15 seconds, depending on the resolution setting.
After scanning you can see thumbnails of your scans and zoom in on them to check scan quality. The feature is limited however. You can only scroll up and down when you're zoomed in, not right and left. In addition, the aspect ratio on the previews is off, so everything looks relatively longer and thinner than the actual scan. It's easy enough to discount the distortion, but it could lead you to overlooking an actual problem in scan quality.
As with most scanners that scan without a computer, you can move the scan files to your computer either by physically moving the card or by connecting to the computer with a USB cable, letting the computer recognize the card as a USB drive, and copying the files. You also have the option of either connecting the USB cable directly to the scanner or connecting it to the dock, with the scanner mounted in the dock.
Results
Given that Abbyy FineReader is the only program the scanner comes with, there were only two applications I could test the scanner for: optical character recognition (OCR) and document management. It did reasonably well on both, although the lack of an automatic document feeder and duplexing (two-sided scanning), puts limits the maximum possible score in both cases.
For OCR, the combination of the scanner and FineReader did a good job, recognizing text on our Times New Roman test page at 10 points and on our Arial page at 8 points without a mistake at 300 ppi. It also helps that FineReader can turn multiple individual files with one page each into a single, multi-page text file for editing. For document management, similarly, it can turn multiple pages into a single, multi-page searchable PDF file.
I'd like this scanner even more if you could run the dock from batteries, if it had a better preview function, or both. As it is, if you want a portable manual feed scanner that doesn't need a computer and can run on batteries, you should take a look at the Brother DSmobile 820W. And if you don't need the manual feed at all, you should consider the Editors' Choice PDSWF-ST44-VP, with its Wi-Fi capability. If you need both a wand and manual-feed scanner, however, the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand With AutoFeed Dock (PDSDK-ST470-VP) can easily fill both slots.
The IRIScan Book 5 is a compact, battery-powered scanner designed for true portability. Using CMOS contact image sensor technology, it can quickly scan documents, books, and more at up to 1200 dpi resolution without the need for a power source.
One of the key advantages of the magic wand portable scanner is its ability to produce high-quality scans. The device utilizes a high-resolution image sensor to capture sharp and clear images. Some models also have built-in image correction features, such as automatic brightness adjustment and cropping, which help ensure that the scanned images look professional and legible. The magic wand scanner is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, making it a versatile option for users with different platforms. It typically comes with software that allows users to easily organize and edit their scanned documents. Some models also offer wireless connectivity options, allowing users to transfer their scanned files directly to their computers or mobile devices. In conclusion, the magic wand portable scanner is an innovative and convenient tool for digitizing documents on the go. Its handheld design and easy-to-use functionality make it a great option for users who need a portable scanning solution. With its high-quality scanning capabilities and various features, the magic wand scanner is a versatile tool that can be used in various settings..
Reviews for "Discover the Power of the Magic Wand Portable Scanner"
1. John - 1 star - I was really disappointed with the Magic Wand portable scanner. The scanning quality was extremely poor - my documents came out blurry and unreadable. I tried adjusting the settings and rescanning multiple times, but the results were always the same. Additionally, the scanner frequently got stuck and had trouble feeding the paper through, resulting in a lot of frustration and wasted time. Overall, I would not recommend this scanner to anyone looking for a reliable and high-quality scanning solution.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - The Magic Wand portable scanner did not live up to my expectations. While the device was indeed portable and easy to use, the scanning quality left much to be desired. The colors of my documents were inaccurate and faded, making them difficult to read. Furthermore, the scanner often had trouble recognizing the edges of the paper, leading to incomplete scans. I also noticed that the battery life was quite short, which meant I had to constantly recharge it during extended scanning sessions. Overall, I was not impressed with this scanner and would recommend looking for an alternative option.
3. Michael - 2 stars - I found the Magic Wand portable scanner to be quite underwhelming. The scanning process itself was relatively smooth, but the resulting scans were disappointing. The resolution was not as sharp as I had hoped, and there were often noticeable distortions in the images. The scanner also struggled to scan larger documents, often cutting off sections or warping the image. Additionally, the software that came with the scanner was not user-friendly and lacked essential features. Overall, while the portability of this scanner is convenient, its performance and quality fall short of expectations.