The IRISPen Express is a handheld scanner that’s designed to let you scan in small amounts of text from a variety of sources, making it ideal for students taking notes from library books, for example.

The device is relatively small and lightweight, making it a convenient addition to your portable kit. It’s straightforward to install and the instructions are clear and concise. Once you’ve installed the drivers and software, the IRISPen simply needs to be calibrated on a blank sheet of paper and it’s ready to go.

Unfortunately, the scanner can’t read handwriting, though it’s supposed to recognise
a wide variety of typefaces. In practice, however, we discovered that it found some fonts easier to deal with than others. Scanning slower helps, but it makes the task more laborious, and those looking for speedy results will be disappointed.

Initially, we had some problems with the software seizing up while we were using the IRISPen, obliging us to force quit the application. However, once we downloaded a patch from the company’s website, things ran a lot smoother.

The main appeal of the IRISPen lies in its handy size and that it can scan directly into other applications, such as Word. However, at £100 (inc. VAT) and offering minimum usage, it proves that scanning on the move still has some way to go. Many users will see it as an expensive luxury – especially when it’s scanning is often less than perfect.

Rating: 5
PRICE £85/£100 (EX/INC. VAT)
REQUIREMENTS Windows 98 or higher, Mac OS 9.x or higher
CONTACT
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01438 818818