We attempt to reduce the amount of paper in our lives by receiving and paying bills online, sending email and staying organized. However, our desks and homes are still overrun by receipts and other important pieces of paper. With all this paper comes disarray. And the worst time of year to be disorganized is during tax season. It's time to gather receipts and other documents needed to prepare income taxes, and you need to be orderly about the process. Until now, there really was not an easy way to organize all this paper. The Neat Company has just the tool for those of us who want to feel in control of the paper in our lives all year long, not just during tax season.
The NeatDesk is a small desktop, high-speed, duplex scanner that allows you to scan and manage information. With a touch of a button, capture critical information from one or both sides of documents, receipts and business cards using the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). NeatDesk can scan up to 25 PPM (pages per minute) of grayscale/black & white documents or 8-1/2 PPM of color documents at a maximum resolution of 600 dpi (dots per inch). The maximum scan size is 8-1/2" x 30" long, so even extra long documents that are difficult to store in a traditional filing cabinet can be neatly organized in the NeatDesk.
Once scanned, the NeatDesk's patented technology helps you to digitize and organize document information into a central location. NeatWorks 4.0 software, included with the NeatDesk, gives you the ability to edit and customize your information. Create searchable PDF files and quickly find the information that you need with a keyword or advanced search. You can now take charge of your piles of paper with this digital filing cabinet/rolodex. NeatWorks 4.0 can also be used to export the data that you scanned into Excel, Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax.
Not only can you create digital images of the information that you scan from a business card, but you can also produce a searchable database. If you prefer, export the information into your existing Outlook address book. There's no more searching for important receipts. NeatDesk's all-in-one scanner has the capacity to scan a single, 50-page document or, by using the slotted input tray, the front and back of up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards and 10 documents. NeatDesk's technology automatically separates scanned items into receipts, business cards and documents. The NeatWorks 4.0 software lets you add notes to the scanned information and will even allow you to assign a tax category to receipts, easing the tax preparation process. Images and data can be securely saved and stored in multiple standard formats such as JPEG, PDF, RTF (Rich Text Format) and XLS (Microsoft Excel).
NeatDesk is Windows XP and Vista compatible. It requires 1GB of hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive and a USB port to install. The NeatDesk can be purchased for approximately $449.95 plus shipping from neatco.com and includes an AC power adapter, NeatWorks 4.0 and a standard 1-year hardware warranty.
