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17 April 2005
Review: Fujitsu ScanSnap fi-5110EOX Paper Scanner
After many years trying to find a Mac compatible paper scanner suitable for archiving my daily in-tray of paperwork, I think I have at last found the solution. Surprisingly, the solution is not Mac compatible, or is it?
The Fujitsu ScanSnap fi-5110EOX [1] is currently only advertised as PC compatible, and there are apparently no drivers for the Mac other than those provided by a third party in the software package ScanTango [2] which adds quite a bit to the cost of the device. But I discovered a discussion about some Japanese language drivers [3] under beta testing for Mac OS X. If you understand Japanese, your well on your way. If you don't you can either take some advice on a MacOSXHints Forum [4]; or you can look at the screen shots from the user manual which comes with the scanner because the Mac screens coincide almost identically with the PC ones; or for the adventurous, like I was, you can open up the Japanese application and use the Apple developer tool—Interface Builder—and a web based Japanese to English translation tool to convert the dialogs and menus to English.
Once I'd got passed the language barrier, I could try out the software, and in summary I was very impressed.
But before I say anything more I should say that my use of this device is quite specific. I'm basically looking for a device that lets me scan in masses of sheets of paper (single and double sided) into 300dpi black and white PDF documents that I can archive away for as long as I need to. I don't need to scan the text into a machine readable form. I just need to be able to locate and review the document when I need to, and the locating part of that is down to my organisation and naming of the files. That out of the way, my comments…
Installation is really easy, you just drag the application where you need it. No installation procedures, no drivers, no restarts, great.
The basic idea is that you run the application, set your preferences for scanning, then let it sit in the background and await you pressing the Scan button on the front of the scanner. When you do that, it automatically scans the document and saves it where you have pre-specified, or launches an application with the scanned document. The document is scanned single or double sided in one pass, and the software automatically rotates the document image to align it, compensates for the colour of the paper, and throws away blank pages (e.g. the back side of single sided pages when scanning in double sided mode). The documents are automatically saved in PDF file format and are effectively compressed to your preferences. Very unlike any Hewlett-Packard scanner software I've used in the past—but that's a topic for another post altogether!
Scanning speed. Well it's as fast as it says it will be, which to me seems amazingly fast and much better than any HP Scanners I've seen that quote one speed and do something quite different. Whoops, I wasn't going to rant about HP here!
So, what can I say. This scanner is brilliant. But it does beg an interesting question… why on earth haven't Fujitsu released the drivers (even labelled as beta) in English. I managed to localise the Japanese driver in a few hours. It's not perfect, but it wasn't hard. If they are concerned that it is beta quality all I can say is that they have a completely different view of beta from HP. If this was an HP Mac driver it would be called platinum coated production release.
Please note, however, if you're looking for a flatbed scanner, or looking to scan into various image file formats, or looking to use the scanner directly from a graphics package, the Fujitsu drivers will not meet your requirements and this probably isn't the product for you.
Update
Click below to download a simple patch file I've produced that converts the currently available Japanese beta to a rough and ready English version.
ScanSnap Manager English Localiser-1.zip
[1] http://www.fel.fujitsu.com/home/v3__product.asp?pid=380&inf=dsc&wg=11
[2] http://www.scantango.com/
[3] http://scansnap.fujitsu.com/jp/download/mac.html
[4] http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=32046&page=1&pp=20&highlight=fujitsu
April 17, 2005 in Mac, macosx | Permalink
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Comments
Many thanks for the localizer!
After reading the macosxhints.com posting by "Japanexperts" in January, I bought a 5110EOX and have enjoyed it very much. Amazingly fast with relatively little compromise on options. I guess folks who really need *.tiff could scan to *.jpeg at 300 dpi or 600 dpi and then convert with some quality loss.
Anyway, my main point is to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the localization! It eliminates the brief pause I sometimes encounter when trying to recall the appropriate English words.
Also, if anyone else has had problems with excessive cropping of sub-8.5x11-inch (letter-size) documents and has found a solution, please post the solution online.
(In other words, if I scan any document smaller than US letter size, the resulting PDF or JPEG will not include text or images on the left and right sides [even in the case of continuous text/images], though it seems to get the top and bottom right.)
Posted by: Roger | 27 Apr 2005 04:22:34
All I can say is THANKS!!!
Posted by: Al Moser | 27 Apr 2005 07:05:30
Roger,
I've noticed an issue with side cropping if you set the 'paper size' to 'Automatically detect paper size'. If, however, you set it to a page size that is at least as big as the paper you're scanning, it scans everything fine. I've taken to leaving it to scan A4 which covers most things that go through my scanner.
Posted by: Stuart Roebuck | 27 Apr 2005 17:06:40
Stuart,
Brilliant! Thanks so much (for properly interpreting my awkwardly phrased question and) for yet another valuable suggestion! For some reason I was stuck on the idea that I "needed" to have the image size be no larger than necessary (i.e., not have any surrounding "white space"), but I now realize that was a silly box in which I had unnecessarily constrained myself (of course I can always crop later using image editing software if truly necessary). Given that I typically print to US letter size paper, I'll probably keep the paper size setting there now. (FYI - my last name is Stewart and I consider myself very fortunate to have spent my junior year (third year of college in the US) at the University of Edinburgh!) Thanks again!
Posted by: Roger | 28 Apr 2005 04:00:31
Thanks for creating the patch! I'm having a little problem with it, however. I'm getting an error message that says:
"There is a loop in the chain of patches!"
"We will force the patch to stop now"
Any thoughts?
Posted by: pfonke | 14 May 2005 12:21:46
Pfonke,
I'm not quite sure what this is, I've seen it already on a Tiger system and I think it may be a bug in the automatic patch generator I used. However, if you ignore the error the resulting application appears to be fully patched as required.
Since producing this patch I have received an email from Fujitsu with a complete English localized version of the beta driver. I asked them if I could pass on details but I have, as yet, not received a reply. It may be worth contacting Fujitsu UK support to see if you can obtain a copy direct as well.
Posted by: Stuart Roebuck | 14 May 2005 13:05:11
Thanks Stuart! After I posted, I noticed that the update had taken. The odd thing is that it definitely didn't take the first time I ran it. I checked, and it was still all Japanese. FWIW, the error appeared on both my systems, which are still running 10.3. Anyhow, it certainly worked in the end, and it's a big improvement to my lifestyle. Thanks again!
I spoke to Fujitsu U.S. today, and they are "considering" me for the beta program. I don't know what about my name or address they are considering, but hopefully I'll be accepted.
pfonke
Posted by: pfonke | 16 May 2005 17:05:00
Hi Stuart,
Just a quick note -- recently on macslash I typed up a short AC post about the Fujitsu ScanSnap and I linked your blog entry near the bottom. I purposely didn't read your review until after my post so that I wouldn't consciously (or unconsciously) be copying your comments or wording. However, after my post I settled down to read your review and was a bit horrified at how similar some of our comments were. My apologies if it sounds as if I lifted your comments (or worse, that readers of the macslash post think that the AC is really you). I guess we just have similar opinions about this scanner.
http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/22/1134232
Posted by: Macslash-AC | 22 May 2005 22:18:14
Great scanner. Darn fast! Great software patches. Nice to see people helping people.
Posted by: Jason Belec | 6 Jun 2005 18:00:07
Thanks so much for making this I just got my scanner yesterday and this works great! If someone evergets board feel free to post the english beta, its not like it is illegal its a free program. But again you saved me $150 by not having to purchase scantango!!! You are the best.
Posted by: Reallynotnick | 2 Jul 2005 15:59:25
Dear Stuart,
Thanks a million for the addition of this helpful software! Here is my problem... I hope you can help.
When I purchased Tiger I installed the Manger from the ScanSnap_V10L10.pkg file and it would not install giving the error "ScanSnap Manager cannot be installed on this computer Could not find specified message for index 17" This was on a new iMac G5 (on which it worked fine under 10.3).
I copied my version from my backups and it would not work either !!! UNTIL I installed your patch. However, now that I have a working ScanSnap again the quality has gone to crap. I only get usable scans when I use the 600 dpi settings. Any ideas what may be happening?
Thanks!!!
Posted by: Michael Morrison | 2 Jul 2005 18:45:08
Stuart,
Thank you so, so much for this patch. It works like a charm.
This little machine is amazingly fast and easy and your patch is the greatest asset for us Mac users.
Posted by: Eve | 16 Aug 2005 03:49:53
I have the Japanese ScanSnap manager working in OS 10.4 (Tiger), but the Localizer Patch won't work (says it can't apply the patch to that file). I have repeatedly tried to get the beta English version from Fujitsu but their support people keep adding my name to the "to be considered" list - but still no software driver (not sure what exactly is their problem on releasing the driver - a bit mysterious.) Any suggestions on how to get the Localization patch to take on the 10.4 compatible ScanSnap Manager?
Posted by: B Murphy | 2 Sep 2005 21:39:32
Same problem here as B. Murphy. Localizer can't apply the patch to the Japanese ScanSnap manager.
Posted by: Philip Stoddard | 13 Sep 2005 15:46:04
Same problem--localiser wont patch the most current (v13) Japanese drivers. Any suggestions?
Posted by: m miller | 25 Sep 2005 19:19:04
Hey anyone here about the mac version of this now? I saw one in a mac world magazine they had a special white scanner just for macs. But I can't find out were to download the mac software (the REAL english one) on their website. Anyone have any inside info?
Posted by: reallynotnick | 27 Sep 2005 02:06:02
Apologies to those who have asked why the patch isn't working - I haven't tried again, but I'm presuming that Fujitsu have upgraded the Japanese driver your patching so that the patch no longer works. However, as reallynotnick pointed out Fujitsu are now officially supporting the Mac so I wonder whether it might be worth giving support a call and seeing if they can direct you to a Mac version of the software.
Posted by: Stuart Roebuck | 27 Sep 2005 08:33:35
It's true that Fujitsu will be releasing a Mac version next year, but the software will be incompatable with the OEX and OEX2 pc hardware--so the new Mac drivers wont work. Any chance someone knows how to patch Japanese v13? The screenshots in the English manual dont match the Japanese software version, so unless you speak/read Japanese or patch the sw, you're kinda lost
Posted by: m miller | 27 Sep 2005 20:04:44
I'm really angry at Fujitsu.
After telling us for some time that they do not expect to provide Mac support for ScanSnap, they come out with a Mac version of the product. I believed them, and purchased a Windows version, using the Japanese Mac driver with Stuart's excellent patch.
NOW I am stuck with a cobbled-together product (which I still like but the interface is cumbersome, especially when changing filenames), though had I known I might have waited for the official Mac version. The LEAST they can do is provide an English Mac driver for those of us with OEX2 scanners. You know, "Customer Service".
Posted by: Steve | 23 Oct 2005 19:01:02
I am contemplating purchasing this scanner if I can also use it to print "directly" from it. In other words, is it possible to set up Acrobat (or other software) so that when I press the Scan button on the machine, it will scan the documents and send them immediately to my printer (without further accessing the computer for additional scans)? ... sort of like having a copier when the computer is not in use.
Posted by: David | 15 Dec 2005 21:05:55
Many thanks for your localizer. It worked like a charm on my powerpc mac. I have since upgraded to an intel macbookpro and the localizer does not work on the new ScanSnap_V10L14.pkg software released by Fujitsu. Please let me know when you update the localizer to work with this version, I would gladly pay to have this done too!
Posted by: Ben Stone | 4 May 2006 19:45:28
i just purchased the intel macbookpro and am contemplating the fujitsu scansnap fi5110eox. does ben stone's comment mean that the scanner won't work on the intel macbookpro? will await your response before purchasing. thanks so much.
Posted by: Jo Kim | 1 Jun 2006 06:35:14
I'm happily using the L13 and L14 versions of the SnapScan software on an Intel MacBook Pro, I am not aware of anyone having any technical issues with the change to Intel architecture.
Posted by: Stuart Roebuck | 1 Jun 2006 09:33:06
thanks stuart.
Posted by: Jo Kim | 7 Jun 2006 06:52:10
Hi Stuart, does the localizer work with L14 Japanese?
Posted by: pl804 | 20 Jun 2006 12:58:33
