Here is the device that I want to use on my next visit to a genealogy library or a local courthouse. The Planon DocuPen RC800 looks like a magic wand. Perhaps it is just that. In reality, it is a handheld scanner that scans an entire page at a time. You can almost carry this device in a shirt pocket.
To capture a document with the RC800, you simply lay the device flat across the top of the page and sweep it down to scan the page in one pass. Think of a magic wand laid on its side as it passes over the book or other document that you wish to scan. The handheld scanner exerts no pressure on the book's binding, so it should be good for scanning old, valuable books.
The scanner is 8.9 inches long and scans images almost that width. It should be perfect for scanning any book with 8.5-inch or smaller width pages. It may not do as well on some older, oversized documents, but you could scan large pages in segments, sweeping the DocuPen across instead of down.
A single button on the RC800 scanner lets you cycle between black-and-white, 12-bit color, and 24-bit true-color modes, and another allows you to switch between low resolution (100 or 200 pixels per inch), and high resolution (200 or 400 ppi).
The DocuPen RC800 is primarily a mobile device. It scans and stores images directly into its own memory. You do not need an attached computer when scanning: however you will later need to transfer the scanner's memory contents to a desktop or laptop computer when you get home. You plug the Planon DocuPen RC800 scanner into the computer's USB port.
A built-in lithium ion battery lets you scan pages anywhere and transfer them to your computer later. Planon claims that the battery is good for 40 true-color scans per charge, many more if you do monochrome scans. Unfortunately, the scanner's internal 8-megabyte TransFlash memory card can hold only two 8.5- by 11-inch true-color pages at 400 ppi, which seems a bit stingy. However, it can capture hundreds of monochrome pages at 100 ppi. Also, the memory is upgradeable to capacities up to 1 gigabyte with third-party TransFlash cards.
The device is a bit "pricey" at $299.
You can read a lot more about the Planon DocuPen RC800 scanner in a review written by M. David Stone and published on PC Magazine's web site. Take a look at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1948509,00.asp
