CardScan 600c

Author's product rating:   

Speed	Fast
Colour sensitivity	Good
Resolution	Good
Ease of Installation	Good - quick to install
Value For Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Produces high quality cards, quickly and flexibly
Disadvantages:	Price

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

--- INTRODUCTION ---

I first used this product in my uncle's office, not for his business but for fun. I mucked around and created business cards for dream business I didn't actually have. Later on though due to his computer 'illiteracy' he asked me to take a look and help him use the machine. It did take me a few goes to come anywhere near perfecting a business card, but for him the results were fine, by all means have many practice goes to create the best card possible. Smaller than you may think (have a look at the attached pictures) he Cardscan 600c is a nifty portable device, perhaps not to be used on the Inter-City train journeys necessarily but definitely moveable. Utilizing the now traditional black for computers, there's no electric blue or fiery orange colour to choose from, but that digresses from its function.

--- FEATURES ---

Attachable to a PC via USB, it is easy to setup and then transfer your business card designs into something tangible (a few seconds to scan). Able to scan on both sides in quick time the expensive price tag isn't there just for show, the device holds up to 10 cards before having to remove them which isn't that impressive, but for such a small machine isn't too much of a hassle. The software is fairly straightforward, although I found it easier to print the cards in larger batches than just a few. A downfall is the fact that the scanner requires its own plug battery and doesn't have a temporary energy storage facility.

--- QUALITY ---

The quality is very good (of course part of the quality depends on your own design) considering the time taken to produce the cards. Crisp resolution and the choice of printing on both sides is a bonus. The cards are also easy to feed through the machine just put as many through as you desire and it will keep them coming.

--- CONCLUSION ---

Depending on the size or type of business you have the price is either right of wrong. Clocking in at around £230.00p, for personal use this isn't the cheapest product around. If you have a large company with a relatively high expenditure then you may be able to afford this and would be economical across many departments, providing flexible uses for different components or employees in the firm. For a smaller firm this may be expensive as you may not have a high demand for business cards or use for them. Then again it also depends on what type of business you run. A solicitor's is more likely to use cards than a fast food chain.

Then again there are also many ways to utilize the benefit of business cards, not just by giving people your name. You have to factor in a cost/benefit analysis of the machine. Is it going to end up collecting dust in the back of the office or regularly going to be used? You could just out-source your business card manufacturing dept. to Third World sweat shops that will produce 1000 cards for next to nothing.