• Some scanners are USB-powered, meaning no AC adapters or power cables.A close-up of a couple of USB connectors. image by Werg from Fotolia.com
  
  Domestic scanners are a vital piece of equipment for anybody who needs to upload digital copies of their documents and photos. You could invest in a small business scanner that can digitally copy your financial documents and contracts, or you might purchase a small home scanner to upload your family photos and Polaroid pictures. Whatever your needs, there is sure to be a scanner out there for you.
  
  

Visioneer OneTouch 7300 USB Scanner

• This ultra-thin and ultra-mobile scanner from Visioneer Inc. is the perfect domestic scanner for anybody on the move. This scanner (from $100) has a USB connection port, hinged lid and slim design to ensure that you can plug-in and scan from any PC or laptop. The hinged lid itself means that you can scan larger or thicker documents and the USB cable provides all the power that the OneTouch 7300 needs. The only negative of this particular scanner is that the software is only compatible with Windows,
  
  

Epson Perfection V700 Scanner

• The Epson V700 scanner is ideal for anyone who needs to upload lots of different types of documents. This particular model is not only capable of simple copier tasks (black and white documents) but also the more demanding scans for high-resolution and high-color images. The scanner also has a high scan resolution of 6400 dpi (dots per inch) and a dual lens design that digitizes a slide at 2400 dpi per second. The Epson V700 retails at around $549.
  
  

HP Professional 1000 Mobile Scanner

• Like the Visioneer OneTouch, the HP Professional 1000 is a USB-powered scanner that can work anywhere and at anytime. It is extremely lightweight, mobile and compact and the scanner has its own carry case for transport between PCs and laptop ports. Also, the scanner can digitize documents into PDF, TIFF, JPEG and Microsoft Word formats, making it possible to save space on your hard drive. The only negative is the scanner's BizCard Reader; the designs always require a lot of editing and the scanning capabilities for cards are sub-par.
  
  

ArtixScan DI 4020

• The ArtixScan DI 4020 has a 600 dpi optical resolution, 48-bit color depth and throughputs up to 40 pages per minute. It also has a 100-page Automatic Document Feeder reloader to ensure that the scanner is always efficient. One drawback with the hardware is that the DI 4020 can only be supported on PC formats so Apple Mac users will not be able to configure or use the device.