C Pen 600C Handheld Scanner

by C-pen

Product Details

Product Manual [853kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00005BC09
• Item model number: 600C
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,645 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 14, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Easily carried in your shirt pocket, the C Pen 600C handheld scanner supplies supremely convenient scanning options for students, travelers, and professionals. About the size of your sunglasses, this scanner arrives loaded with Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, providing users with instant access to 215,000 definitions. Its four-row display shows your scans clearly, and it speeds through text at a rate of 15 centimeters per second.

Usable from your right or left hand, the scanner can store up to 3,000 pages of files in its memory, along with 1,000 entries for personal and business contacts. All of these can be easily transferred to your Windows-based PC, or Palm, Visor, or Sony PDA, via an infrared port or serial cable. Download one of 11 foreign language dictionaries, and the scanner becomes an instant translator, making it ideal for travelers.

The scanner is fueled by two AAA batteries, which supply power for up to three hours of continuous use or a few minutes each day for several weeks. Included in the box are batteries, a soft carrying case, and a detachable serial cable, as well as a software package that allows you to save, edit, and transfer your scans with ease. The manufacturer supplies a one-year limited warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Writers, Educators, Researchers & Lawyers Dream!, January 18, 2002

By 

Joseph J. Janos III (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: C Pen 600C Handheld Scanner (Office Product)

The C-Pen is simply the best tool I ever came across for any kind of writing from research to novels to what ever your needs will ever be in the future.

The days of being at the Reference section of any library and copying and retyping are over. One swift use of the C-Pen and your in rewrite heaven with easy citations. Ever read an article in a magazine or newspaper and want to comment on it, just use the C-Pen, you got the exact quote and can respond in kind! See a specific piece of research you want to quote, scan it in line by line with the citation. The Business card scan with C-Pen is easier and faster than rewriting it on palm pilot!

I read how you must get use to using this device. I found no such problems. The text need only be put on a surface to steady it, then scanning line by line so long you keep your hand steady and straight makes it quite easy! The only one drawback is scanning underline text, but I found that to be a minor problem compared to the overall great benefits.

What I really appreciated was the easy installation. The OCR is simply amazing and works in Microsoft Word with absolute ease and speed. This is especially gratifying because I expected complications and found none!

I loaded the software and called Technical Support to make sure this was the latest device on the market! I was at first disappointed I was unable reach a real person, but within a half an hour they called back and walked me through it! When I found out the newer model holds more with a bigger dictionary, I was still satisfied with the 600-C. Depends on your needs whether you want to spend the extra cash on the 800-C model. The booklet is like a Car Manual, but if you take the time to read it, you will never read it again!

I made only one big mistake, I did not check Amazon.com first and saw the price is about $40.00 under retail prices at all stores I checked everywhere! I was unable to take back the device without a re-stocking fee so don't make my mistake, buy it from Amazon.com.

In closing, you will never regret buying this device and using it often for your purposes. It is simply the easiest and best product I have ever used and seen in quite awhile! It is every writers, businessperson, lawyers and research educators dream!

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but good enough, February 27, 2002

By 

"boughthere" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: C Pen 600C Handheld Scanner (Office Product)

I am a student reading tens of pages daily I am supposed to remember. The only way for me remembering what I have read is exposing myself to the key sentences 3-4 times daily.
So here is what I do since I have my C-Pen:

1. When I read a book, after I read and understood a chapter I scan the important info with my C-Pen out of the book.
2. I beam the file into my Palm. (if necesarry I edit it on my pc, but usually it is not needed)

Whenever I have a little time like in the elevator or during lunch or waiting for the bus, I just flip out my palm and read a sentence or two so that the subject I dealt with comes back. This method rocks. I can refresh or recall things I have read months ago! Everything is at the touch of my finger in my palm.

This method works for me so much that I am willing to deal with the CPen 600. It is not flawless. I have found the scanning is accurate enough only for books with ordinary text: not many abbreviations special characters etc. My books are luckily like this, so I only have a letter wrong every 3rd sentence or so. Fine, I don't mind that.

But do not expect that you can just see some tel number in a newspaper or some mathematical expression and scan it out with 100% accuracy. First of all, I have found that I have to adjust the pen for every book I scan, which take 10 secs altogether. Secondly, when you want to scan important data, you can not afford the accuracy of this pen.

Summary:
Good for students researchers, people who deal with lots of plain text and want to make notes.

One more cool feature is that I can carry my files (6M) in the C-Pen between my office and home computer.

Not good for quick 1-line scans from various sources.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent- works perfectly, July 29, 2001

By 

A. Ryan "afryan34" (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: C Pen 600C Handheld Scanner (Office Product)

The C-pen 600c works perfectly! I use it in conjunction with my Visor and it works as advertised. This is an invaluable tool for as a student and researcher. I use it to create my own personal classroom notes and to grap the essential information from text books and scientific articles. The C-pen is easy to use and accurate. Once you get in a rhythm, scanning is quick too.

Summary PROS: accurate, easy to use, great tool for students and researchers, dictionary and forein language translater is useful, excellent accessory for palm pilots. CONS: battery life is somewhat short if used continuously (2-3hrs) and there is a file size limit (no problem, just create a new file).