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It doesn't have the IRIScan's onboard memory, but it is a much smaller and thus more portable scanner, and has some unique features of its own to make it stand out.

I must declare a personal interest here, and admit that the ScanSnap S1100 portable device is the scanner I use on a near-daily basis for all my imaging needs for Document Manager and in my personal life, and I am a big fan of how Fujitsu make their scanners. And if you've used the S1100 then the new iX100 will seem eerily familiar: looks-wise the two are very similar indeed, barring a slightly different-shaped Scan button, and of course the lack of a power/USB cable. The iX100 includes a lithium-ion battery capable of processing up to 260 A4 sheets (simplex colour) while connected via WiFi, so it's not likely to die on you at the wrong moment while you're on the road. It's still relatively lightweight though at around 400g.

The built-in WiFi adapter automatically detects and switches to the most appropriate network connection, so in the office or home it will connect to your router, while in remote situations it can make ad-hoc connections without an Access point to Android or iOS devices. Fujitsu offers its ScanSnap Connect app for free via the usual marketplaces.

New scanning features include the ability to scan two small documents such as business cards or receipts simultaneously - the scanner recognises the distinct images and treats them as two scans, which can be very useful for sales contacts from an exhibition, for instance.

At the other extreme it can also intelligently handle scans larger than its A4 feed slot without the hassle of using a carrier sheet: simply fold an A3 sheet in half, scan it, and the ScanSnap will 'stitch together' the two images into one. We've seen variations on stitching software in scanners for many years, but often the results have left something to be desired: with the iX100 you genuinely couldn't tell that the final image is made up of two scans.

At around 5 seconds a page in most modes the iX100 compares favourably with most ultra-portable scanners on speed, and of course the scan quality is never less than excellent. The powerful GI processor in the iX100 can deliver high-quality, auto-corrected digitised image data from any document, which can be sent to JPEG, PDF, searchable PDF format or as editable Word, Excel or PowerPoint files using the bundled software. Fujitsu's own ScanSnap Manager and ScanSnap Organiser are complemented by CardMinder and ABBYY FineReader, while the Windows version also includes scanning to MS SharePoint.
More info: www.fujitsu.com