I saw a scanner thingy today

[Polar Bear]

It was just like a bar and the person using it apparently scanned down the page with it then put it in her bag.

Anybody know what they are called and where to get them please?

[TimO]

Planon do various scanners like this.  I suspect other companies do as well, it has to be fairly useful to take a quick scan of a document for later reference.  It looks like it would cost you upwards of £100 though, depending on what features you want (like colour etc)

[andygates]

Don't these things mostly suck, or have they sorted that out now?

(I just take photos for my road-warrior needs)

[TimO]

Historically handheld scanners where much bulkier than those, and as you say did a poor job, but maybe things have improved.  A good scan used to be as much about a steady hand and smooth motion as it was about how good the technology was.

If I could think of a good excuse to use one at work I'd get one to experiment, but I can think of a way to justify even spending a couple of hundred quid on one!

[Polar Bear]

Thanks guys.  I have an immensely good use for one.  Researching in libraries I could just copy the text and download it onto my computer later, then view it on my incredibly large screen, or convert it to audio and sit back and listen to it.   

£200 sounds pricey but the value it would give me would be worth it if it works.

[Jules]

Thanks guys.  I have an immensely good use for one.  Researching in libraries I could just copy the text and download it onto my computer later, then view it on my incredibly large screen, or convert it to audio and sit back and listen to it.   

£200 sounds pricey but the value it would give me would be worth it if it works.

Depending on were you go you find quite a number of academic libraries won't approve of this. Some that I use won't let you do this but will let you photograph pages with a digital camera as this does not make contact with the page. If yuo do a reasonable job of that you can OCr them later.

[Polar Bear]

Thanks guys.  I have an immensely good use for one.  Researching in libraries I could just copy the text and download it onto my computer later, then view it on my incredibly large screen, or convert it to audio and sit back and listen to it.   

£200 sounds pricey but the value it would give me would be worth it if it works.

Depending on were you go you find quite a number of academic libraries won't approve of this. Some that I use won't let you do this but will let you photograph pages with a digital camera as this does not make contact with the page. If yuo do a reasonable job of that you can OCr them later.

Interesting point which I will bear in mind  Thanks.

[David Martin]

Last time I needed a copy of the notes from a detailed academic discussionin the coffee room I took a pic on my phone. Then printed it, trimmed and sellotaped into the lab book.

Hopefully it will work - must chase up the funky oligonucleotide order.

..d