Brother DS-640 vs Epson WorkForce ES-50 Review: Pros, Cons, & Verdict
Even though today is the digital era, we still use physical documents for many things. However, we all know how beneficial the digital form of our paper document is. It lasts much longer and doesn’t get any damage. For that reason, you may need a scanner more than before. Carrying a standard scanner is impossible, especially for you who travel a lot during work.
The solution here is using a portable scanner. And, among many products we found, we have decided to compare Brother DS-640 vs Epson WorkForce ES-50 to find out which one is the better scanner for you.
Brother DS-640 Review
Brother maybe is not as big as the other scanner brand. However, they are well-known for creating the scanner product that does the job well. And, out of their collection, the DS-640 is one of those products. So, here, we will see what we can get from this portable scanner.
Brother DS-640 Features
First of all, it is an ultra-compact portable scanner. The length is only 1 foot long. And, it is also pretty lightweight, with 1.5 pounds in weight. Practically, you can put this portable scanner anywhere. On your desk for your everyday task or carrying it in your bag for travel, it fits well.
We also like how fast the scanning process is. For monochrome or black and white documents, it can run through for 16 ppm of speed. Moreover, the color document also requires almost similar speed as the black and white document. Furthermore, it also works with various media, from paper, laminated cards, business cards, and even credit cards.
The flaw we have found is maybe the paper feeding feature. You have to put the document you want to scan in the perfect position to make it work. Otherwise, it won’t operate. You may have to manually guide the paper. But, that’s extra works for something that a scanner could do automatically. So, it is a big letdown.
As for the connectivity feature, it only has micro USB3.0 ports. You use it for powering up on the electrical socket with its converter cable. Or, you also can connect it to your PC or laptop to make it work. However, the port location is a bit annoying. You’ll feel it when you use the power cord. You may have to tweak or fold the cable a bit, so it won’t obstruct the paper when it goes through the scanning area.
>> See the latest pricing for Brother DS-640 on Amazon <<
Brother DS-640 Pros & Cons
- Fast scanning speed (16 ppm for black/white and colored document),
- Ultra-compact size (1 foot of length with 1.5 pounds of weight),
- Work on various paper, business cards, and printed media.
- Problematic paper feeding part,
- Annoying power cord port location that obstructs the scanned paper movement,
- Problematic driver and scanning app.
Epson WorkForce ES-50 Review
Who does not know Epson? This brand has been around for years and has become one of the most reliable brands for any electronic device. As for the portable scanner, we chose Epson WorkForce ES-50. Is this portable scanner the one that you need? Let see what it can do.
Epson WorkForce ES-50 Features
The scanning speed is pretty fast. It can fully scan a single page of a paper document in just 5.5 seconds (around 12 ppm) for black/white or colored documents. Furthermore, the size is ultra-compact (around 10 inches in length). It is small and easy to carry, an ideal scanner for a traveler. This size also fits with your bag.
The size, however, doesn’t mean it can’t handle the proper size of the document. The scanning area can hold up to 8.5 x 72 inches of a paper document. Moreover, you also can scan various cards and receipts on it. This feature helps you a lot to digitize those physical documents.
This scanner also has a Nuance OCR feature. You can create a searchable PDF file from your scanned paper document and save it on your device. Other than PDF, this scanner also can create editable Word or Excel files.
However, we also found some flaws in it. For example, the mobile app for this scanner only limits your scan resolution up to 300 dpi. Moreover, you cannot use the OCR feature on the mobile version. Epson also mentions it on their website without proper explanation.
It uses a USB cord. So, connect it to your computer. Once you do that, it does not require a battery or power cord to operate. It simplifies how you use it. Plus, this feature will help you a lot when you don’t have access to a proper power socket in the place you visit.
>> See the latest pricing for Epson WorkForce ES-50 on Amazon <<
Epson WorkForce ES-50 Pros & Cons
- Ultra-compact size (10 inches in length),
- Fast scanning speed (a single page document in 5.5 seconds),
- Wide scanning area (able to scan up to 8.5 x 72 inches of paper).
- 300 dpi scan resolution limitation on mobile scanning app,
- No automatic paper feeding,
- OCR doesn’t work on the mobile version.
Difference between Brother DS-640 and Epson WorkForce ES-50?
Speed is the first difference we found. Brother DS-640 has a slightly better scanning speed. It could affect your working productivity. The size is also an obvious difference you can see. Epson WorkForce ES-50 has a better size in the term of portability.
The other difference is the power cord. Brother scanner still needs a power cord that you have to connect to an electrical socket. However, Epson doesn’t need that. It can work once you connect it to your laptop or PC. All in all, both products have quite similar quality. But, we have decided which one is better.
Which is Better, Brother DS-640 or Epson WorkForce ES-50?
The winner of the comparison battle between Brother DS-640 vs Epson WorkForce ES-50 is Epson WorkForce ES-50. We would like to emphasize the portability property here. Epson scanner has a better portability value than Brother. As for its performance and flaws, these two products have quite similar quality. Therefore, it is difficult to decide which one is better. But, thanks to the more compact size of ES-50, this is the scanner that we recommend for you. Moreover, you also can rely on Epson service because they have a reputation and are known as one of the leaders in this industry.