Pentax Takes DSmobile Scanner to 600 dpi

Pentax's DSmobile 600 scanner offers 600dpi color scanning in a portable unit measuring just 11 inches long and 1.5 inches high, and weighing just 12 ounces.

If you’re one of those notebook-toting road warriors who wishes there were an easy way to scan documents on the go, Pentax has a solution for you in the form of its DSmobile 600 Scanner. Although Pentax has been offering wand-sized mobile scanners for a while now, the DSmobile 600 ups the ante by offering 600 dpi resolution (the previous DSmobile USB capped out at 300 dpi) and the capability to scan everything from a business card to a full 8.5 by 14-inch sheet of paper. DSmobileSCAN software (for Windows XP, 2000, ME, and 98SE) enables users to save documents as PDF files, while PageManager 7 (same OS support) enables users to edit, view, send, and save scanned documents in a variety of formats. A TWAIN driver will be available for download for Mac OS X 10.3 and newer from the PentaxTech Web site.

The scanner operates off power from the USB port (so there’s no separate power brick to lug around), and the entire unit measures just 11 inches long and 1.5 inches high; the total weight is just 12 ounces, so if you slip a disc, it’s your notebook’s fault, not the scanner’s. A button on the DSmobile 600 can be configured to launch any scanning program the user prefers.

The Pentax DSmobile 600 should be available in January 2007 for $135.