Adding an automatic document feeder (ADF) to a scanner is a great way to capture multiple documents with the minimum of fuss. Plustek has a reputation for producing low-cost products, so it had a chance to undercut the competition with its SmartOffice PS286 Plus.
The PS286 Plus comes with several spare parts and a software package that includes optical character recognition (OCR), business card and image-management applications. Although it’s not aimed strictly at use on the road, it’s supplied with a hard-wearing bag.
The scanner has a flip-up input tray with two sets of adjustable paper guides and a fold-down output tray. The output tray feels sturdy, but the input tray is made from a flimsy silver plastic.
The TWAIN driver is easy to use, but you must manually select simplex or duplex scanning, colour or mono. We received further driver warning messages during a multi-page duplex job, after which we discovered that a side of one sheet failed to scan and the auto-rotate hadn’t worked.
