Wizcom InfoScan IS1000 Pen Scanner

by Wizcom

Product Details

• Item Weight: 3.2 ounces
• 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: B0000Y8FLC
• Item model number: IS1000
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 28, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

InfoScan, WizCom's "Electronic Note Taker," is used just like a yellow highlighter. InfoScan enables you to scan and transfer printed text directly into a PC or to scan, store, and transfer up to 500 pages of printed data to a PC, laptop, PDA, or any Windows application via infrared or USB connection at your leisure.

Inside the tip of the Infoscan is a sophisticated electronic eye mounted above two rollers. This eye enables you to scan different types of printed information, such as notes, directly into your pen. This completely mobile device offers users a quick and easy way to take notes from almost any printed document, creating fully editable MS Word documents on the PC, PDA, or any Windows application.

What's in the Box
Infoscan pen, plastic pen case with opticard sticker on the bottom, CD-ROM, communications cable, two AAA batteries, operation manual, Getting Started guide

Product Description

InfoScan is like a yellow highlighter for your computer. It enables you to store and transfer up to 500 pages of printed data to a PC, laptop, PDA or any Windows application. This completely mobile device offers users a quick and easy way to take notes from almost any printed document, creating fully editable documents in a snap. Scan to PC Mode scans text into the active cursor of any application that accepts it, in real-time Transfer data easily using Infra-red (IRDA) or USB Size - 6 x 1-1/2 x 1 Weight - 3 oz.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars There are better options available, January 3, 2006

By 

John Kitchens "electronics and fitness fan" (Lexington, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wizcom InfoScan IS1000 Pen Scanner (Office Product)

I recently purchased the infoscan and must say that it pales in comparison to its competitors. I own 2 C-Pens that are similar to the infoscan and they are much better. The essential problem with the infoscan is that the turnaround time (ie. the time required for the scanned information to be stored into the pen's memory) is too long. It takes 2-3 seconds per line of scanned text which is frustrating when scanning any amount of text (in contrast, the C-Pens (600C and 800C) only take about a second). The character recognition is average (about 90-95% versus the 95+% with the C-Pens). The screen is of lower resolution and quality. The ergonomics are not as good (poor button placement and a larger overall device).
One additional note, the manufacturer will not accept returns of their product if not bought directly from them.
In summary, most of these issues are minor with the exception of the turnaround time which makes this item pale in comparison to the C-Pen product line. These devices are great when they work well (C-Pen) and frustrating when they work poorly (Wizcom).

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works as billed, September 12, 2005

By 

Cam (S. Bend, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wizcom InfoScan IS1000 Pen Scanner (Office Product)

(update 11/07), Yes I'm updating 4 yrs later only because I'm selling it. It really does work, the problem lies more in the sociology of actually scanning. While it is faster than typing, its slower than highlighting. Once I've highlighted, I found that I was too lazy to go back and scan. I've been experimenting around with voice recognition software, Dragon Naturally Speaking 9, and found that this method is even faster than scanning and as accurate. We'll see if this will get me off my lazy PhD butt and actually start to capture some of what I read.

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Before I bought this pen I looked at most of the reviews for other hand held scanners on the market. It seems to be the case that either they works or they don't. In my case it seems to work perfect. Well perfect as in about 5 mistakes in about a hundred words, in other words abouth 1 in 20. This actually isn't as bad as it seems and perhaps I expected the worst but I find this quite tolerable and readable. In addition if the reviews I read are correct, there is a slight learning curve so hopefully it will get better.

(update 10/03) I have now used the pen to work on about 6 articles and my scanning error rate has dropped significantly to about 1 error/paragraph. I have found that parantheses cause problems and that some words no matter how many times you scan them will not scan correctly. All in all this pen works as well as I hoped for. (end update)

I haven't had a lot of time to play with the software but is seems to work pretty seamlessly in a Win XP box with SP 2 installed. Install the software, plug in the USB cable, plug in the pen and voila it works (actually it didn't work the first time but it turned out that I hadn't pushed the pen side plug in fully, it should click)

(...)

The trick now is actually using it.

If your interested here is a scan of a paragraph. Its about my third try.

"Recently, digital information and new fonns of information technology have become the focus of tremendous amounts of attention and energy iaan our society. excitement penetrates not the business world and the general society. but also cademia, where computer scientists, cognitive scientists, social scientists are thinking about information and the arial impacts of information technology in new ways."

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money, October 30, 2006

By 

Susanna Hutcheson "Copywriting for the Discri... (Midwest U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wizcom InfoScan IS1000 Pen Scanner (Office Product)

When this gadget works, it's great. Trouble is, it hardly ever works. And getting it to communicate with the PC is nearly impossible. On top of that, technical support is poor. They reply fast enough. They just don't know enough.

It's a great idea. Just not ready for prime time. Don't buy it. You'll regret it if you do.