CardScan 600c Pulls Business Cards Into Your PIM

Success is not always who you know, but whose business card you can still locate. I've used Corex's CardScan Executive business card scanner and contact organizer for some time, and found it an invaluable tool for searching, updating, and sending those important names and numbers to my various digital address books. Corex's newest update, the CardScan 600c with version 6 software, adds some useful refinements to an already good product.

Like earlier versions, this package contains a small, dedicated scanner and an on-screen, Rolodex-like application for managing your digitized business cards. If you have a TWAIN-compliant scanner, you can purchase the CardScan application for $79, or upgrade for $49. The scanner-and-software package is list-priced at $299.

The 600c scanner is faster, sleeker and smaller (by about a third) than the older 500 model, and replaces the wire card catcher on the back with a foldout plastic shelf. To cut the size, though, Corex abandoned the 500's parallel port--the 600c has only a USB connector.

The 600c lets you add color to your scans, but it won't cost you in scan speed: It takes the monochrome 500 scanner about 7 seconds per card; the 600c takes about a second longer to scan in color. However, storing a card in color takes about 45 percent more space than the same card in monochrome. The 600c lets you switch back to monochrome, and doing so cut the scan time in my tests down to under 4 seconds--helpful if you are processing a stack of cards. But some cards and logos are easier to read in color, so it's good to be able to choose.

Refinements in the software in my pre-production unit include a clever mapping function: Click on an address and, if you're online, MapQuest pops up a map of the location. A new Tools menu lets you manage CardScan updates and sync settings with your PDA and other applications.

The $299 combo is rather pricey, considering that you can buy a more versatile flat-bed scanner for $200. Upgrading to the new software isn't a must for owners of older CardScan packages, although it has some welcome new features. But if you don't already have CardScan software and you need to transfer contacts from business cards into digital form, it's a worthwhile investment.