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JANUARY 1, 2008 Plustek Opticard 821
Installation on the Lenovo ThinkPad was simple. My problems began after that point. I just skimmed the basic instruction sheet. (Read “Hardly looked at them”). If I had really read them, or the manual included on the software CD, I would have been up and running in a much shorter time. It seems that clicking on any program links related to this scanner will not work unless the scanner is connected to the USB port. This waste of time was my fault as I was too independent to thoroughly read the quick start sheet and did not look for the comprehensive manual that was available through a link within the list of programs. After I connected the Plustek OptiCard 821 to a USB port and calibrated the scanner all links worked. I was in business. I opened a program that allowed me to change the settings needed for most of the tasks. Once I read the manual I was able to understand all of the scanner options. They are very extensive.
Scanning of photos worked well. I liked the ability to preset many parts of the job like DPI, destination folder, basic naming of the photos, and others. I created a folder to receive the scanned photos then set the options in the Scan Tab. I was able to scan 20 photos in about 8 minutes. All were stored in the proper folder with the new naming sequence. Colors were great, DPI and size were correct.
Business Card Scanning OCR worked well but is limited due to the small size of the scanner bed. ABBYY FineReader did an acceptable job of converting documents into text.
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This tiny scanner does a great job for a number of tasks. The box included the scanner, a USB 2 cable, a cloth case for the scanner, and a CD with drivers and software. Also in the box were a card for calibration and another for cleaning the scanner. for years I have promised my family that I would scan all the old family photos and place them on 
The setting options come on two pages; Scan and Custom. Scan is for most basic scanning activities like photos, driver’s license or checks. Almost any sheet or card, thick or thin, that will fit in the scanner. After setting it up you use the SCAN button on the scanner to start scanning. CUSTOM is to associate special functions and programs like OCR or Business card address books. These require the CUSTOM button to open the designated program and start the scan. 
Results with black and white cards were fine. Cards with color were iffy. Sometimes the scan picked up the information and transferred it to the address book in the HotCard software. Other scans just copied the card to the database and I needed to enter the text manually. I do have to say the scanner rendered the colors and contrast perfectly so it was easy to read. My own business card had to many dark colors for background and could not be translated to text by the software with the exception of my job title.
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Harry Skevington has been involved with electronics since 1981. He has taught, written for, and provided support to, computer users since 1985. Information that will help consumers with buying decisions is more important than ever due to the current convergence of computers and other consumer products .
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