| One of the main benefits of newer technologies is | | | | places that we probably shouldn't like the |
| mobility, and mobility means the ability to do work | | | | bathroom, little league games, the dinner table, |
| in more places. Since the invention of the lap top | | | | PTA meetings, Bar Mitzvahs, Churches, |
| computer, there have been a steadily growing | | | | playgrounds, weddings, and funerals. |
| number of devices that allow people to work | | | | In effect, all of these different devices and types |
| when and where they want to. Of course the | | | | of technologies have combined to create offices |
| laptop computer was the first. Even the most | | | | that we can take with us wherever we go. |
| primitive ones could allow people to write and | | | | There's always been one piece of office |
| work with spreadsheets in the park or in the | | | | equipment that was missing though: the scanner. |
| airport, as well as the doctor's office waiting | | | | Scanners are great for archiving invoices, photos, |
| room, at home, or even sitting in their cars. It | | | | and a wide variety of other documents. The main |
| didn't take too long for portable printers to come | | | | problem with bringing a scanner along with your |
| along that could go with the laptop computer. This | | | | laptop computer and your portable printer though |
| really opened up the possibilities for professionals | | | | is the fact that scanners are just so huge. |
| on the go. For example, portable printers meant | | | | Now there's an alternative in the form of a special |
| that electricians, cable TV installers, and other | | | | kind of scanner that's basically a cylinder about as |
| service people could simply enter information into | | | | long at the width of a standard letter sized piece |
| computers in their vehicles and then print out an | | | | of paper. The scanner is completely self contained |
| invoice right then and there to hand to the client. | | | | with a minimum of eight megabytes and a |
| This meant no messy handwriting, no long wait, | | | | maximum of two hundred and fifty six |
| and basically no problems when it came to | | | | megabytes of storage capacity. It comes with |
| accountability (and no surprises when a bill came | | | | integrated controls that allow you to choose the |
| later!). Of course, now we have a whole bunch of | | | | resolution of the scan, and the more advanced |
| ways to get work done when we're away from | | | | model can even use text recognition software to |
| the office. | | | | convert scanned text into text that can be edited |
| Today's laptop computers can keep in touch with | | | | in a word processing program! Basically, the |
| the office and the rest of the world using Wi-Fi | | | | scanner scans a page simply by being rolled along |
| hot spots and even G3 networks that can | | | | the length of the page. Once the image is loaded |
| provide Internet access even miles away from a | | | | into the scanner's memory, it can then be |
| transmitter! These same types of technology | | | | uploaded to a computer via USB connection. |
| have been shrunk into portable devices like the | | | | Now with this new type of technology, it's |
| Blackberry and other so called Smart Phones that | | | | possible to have a complete office that's |
| allow us to keep in touch and do work even in | | | | completely mobile! |