Best Pen-Size Portable Scanner for College

Pen-size scanners -- literally about the size of a pen -- are not only highly portable, but they let you scan originals like magazines and books that won't fit through a sheet feeder. The category breaks neatly into two groups. The first is actual pen scanners that you use like a highlighter, scanning across the page one line at a time. The second is pen-sized scanners that can scan an entire page in a single sweep.

Some people prefer true pen scanners, precisely because they want to capture small snippets of text -- much as they might use a highlighter. For most people, however, the second category is the better choice: it's far faster at scanning a full page, it's easier to learn how to use, and it eliminates the risk of wandering above or below the text line as you sweep across the page, an issue that will usually force you to rescan.

When you're choosing a pen-size scanner, keep in mind that although being able to scan without a computer and then transfer the scans to your computer later can be a major convenience, since you don't have to carry your computer with you, there's also a downside: if a scan doesn't come out well, you won't know about it until you transfer it to your computer later. Whatever your preferences, here are your best choices for pen-size scanners for college.