IRISPen Executive

• Recognizes up to 3.15 inches per second and 1,000 characters per second
• Text-to-Speech ¿ voice synthesis reads back the scanned text for auditory feedback, language pronunciation, etc.Available in one of ten languages including English, Brazilian, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian
• Barcode and hand printed numbers recognition
• Recognizes up to 55 different languages
• Powerful image control ¿ modify the image brightness and remove pixels

I had read the reviews before purchasing this item saw the warnings and thought they wouldn't apply to me. Sometimes it pays to listen to the little warning voice in your head. I tired very hard to learn to use this scanner and never got a complete sentence out of it correct. The product simply does not do what it claims to do. You will find yourself taking more time to get a decent scan than to type what you want on your keyboard. So be warned: This is not a time saving device to typing on your keyboard! One additional thing. Read the return policy. The company Amazon uses DOES NOT allow returns. Shortly after clicking "yes" to purchase this item the request was sent. I had second thoughts about purchasing and tried to cancel the order before the product was even sent, but could not reverse the purchase. A painful and costly lesson.

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I purchased this scanning pen primarily to use with my MacBook Pro. This is the only handheld scanner that is advertised to work with a Mac (the older C-Pen C-10 USB scanner works with the PowerPC Macs but not the new Intel Macs). I even e-mailed Iris and asked them if this product "ran natively on the Intel Mac". I was told that it would have "no problems" running on an Intel Mac....

First, it is not native to the Intel Mac (ie. it is not a Universal program). Second, the software is very buggy when used with the Intel Mac. It shut down on multiple occasions and the trigger only functions sporadically. IT IS NOT FUNCTIONAL ON AN INTEL MAC.

The scanner does not feel very well built (too light and the plastic seems a bit cheap). IrisPen also charges $100 for any software upgrades, which most companies (C-Pen) provide for free.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this a 1 star rating, is the fact that the scan quality is fairly good on a PC.

Basically, handheld scanners are great for students and professionals who do writing (physicians, lawyers, etc). If you are looking for a great USB handheld scanner (for PC use), then try to find a C-10 (no longer made) by C-Pen. The C-20 (the upgrade to the C-10) is good but not great (better than the IrisPen Executive though).

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I'm sorry to say that other reviews of this product from customers who really wanted it to work also apply to my experience. The software loaded on my Mac (OS X 10.4.7), but then the trouble started. The software USB driver could not seem to keep the pen captured, and when it did, scanning was haphazard. Not that it mattered, because try as I might (and believe me, I am a very careful troubleshooter), I could not get a scan that was clear enough or stable enough for IRIS to recognize. This is too bad, because the IRIS engine in general is fast and accurate in other Mac applications ... and is what led me to give this product a try. Thank you as always to Amazon for your customer-friendly return policies!

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It is scandalous that this proudct advertises it works with the Mac -it's a handheld disaster. With 10.4.7, it will freeze your Mac and require rebooting. I seriously doubt they have spent any time trying to update the drivers for any changes to the operating system in years. Save your time and money, and pass on this.

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This product has been horrible. I have been on the phone with tech support for hours and they now want me to send it to them because "it doesn't work" they claim. What a nightmare and so many precious wasted hours! Don't get this product! Stay away...