Portable scanners? Frankly, the idea is not that difficult to conceive, but I have never heard anything about portable scanners before I read the article "Speed-Dating Portable Scanners" from IEEE Spectrum. Apparently, they are becoming quite popular with professionals on the go, and they are reputed to be the digital tool of the future. The device itself is quite simple. A thin, long (20-30 cm) scanner device allows the user to scan any hard-copy document, saves the digital copy of the document, and transfers the document to a computer. The current models of portable scanners vary in size, weight (another 500 grams in my backpack, really?), appearance, and operation. From the article, it is also clear that portable scanners could use some debugging and usability testing, which, I suppose, is exactly the phase they are in right now. As time goes on, however, portable scanners will improve, and it seems we will no longer keep anything in hard copy.
Is it a digital revolution? Perhaps. Keeping digital copies of documents is generally a good practice - not only do digital copies help save space in numerous file cabinets in offices around the world, but also digital copies can sometimes be considered more reliable than hard copies, especially for the disorganized. However, what happens when your digital companion gets a virus or simply gets soaked in the afternoon downpour? What happens when the hard drive gets corrupted and your last back-up was two weeks ago? What happens when you thought you saved in that really important contract, then your little sister messed with your computer, and you just can't find it? It certainly keeps me wondering. I think I will keep the hard copies.
No comments:
Post a Comment