Customer Ratings & Reviews

We were having so many problems getting our printer set back up havent tried it yet, went to geek squad to have it put on our computer because computer would not let us download it still had printer problems, after paying the $199 service plan got home, printer still didnt work, computer is 2 yrs old Thank God our son in a different state spent an hour with us getting the printer to download, never even tried the scanner UGHHHHHHH

Works ok. Doesn't always grab the paper and feed it through. Can take a minute to get familiar. I would spend the extra money and get the ones with a feed tray.

We owned a previous generation of this scanner and were very pleased. Specifically with the battery: 1) life- it was easily 3x this one, 2) we were able to charge it almost everywhere (you have to plug this one into a computer to charge it, for some reason) and 3) the battery is no longer removable/replaceable in this model. On a positive note, this generation scanner starts quicker and scans quicker.

The PC mode works well and it scans mostly correctly. The wifi scan is a struggle in my opinion. Working sometimes and not at all the others. Switching between programs to scan sometimes locks it up too. The DS620 has been our workhorse but I am not a fan in my early testing.

It was ok but was not portable it still needed a computer connection. I would recomend if you have a computer and needed to save space

It was hard for me to figure out how to make it work. I did finally get some scanned, but I really just don’t like it.

So far, it is ok it has to be connected to the computer to have it work

Does not do pictures very well. Besides that its good

Portable scanners have been around a while, and there are a handful of makers who produce them. Most of them have a long “bar” type design and the Brother DS-940DW is one of those styles, being just slightly over 12 inches long. The basic design has a feeder slot in front which takes documents up to 8 ½ inches wide, a few controls for JPG or PDF storage, how you want to connect, and one or two-sided scans. Basic, no thrills. This particular model has a built-in (non-removeable) lithium-ion battery which should last for a few dozen scans, and is recharged via the included USB 3.0 cable to your computer/laptop or an A/C adapter (not included) should you have one. Mine came charged, and I decided to try it two ways: The first being direct scans from the scanner, to a micro-SD card that you insert into the back. You can flip the lid up on top which will then act as a paper re-direct back if you are tight on space, or, you can leave the lid down and whatever you scan will simply slide out of the back. The unit powered up fine, and within seconds was warmed up and ready to go. You need only to just barely put the paper into the slot, and after a brief wait, it will pull it through and scan. I scanned several documents of varying types, including text only, varied text colors, and text + photos. Putting the memory card in a computer and viewing these, overall, I would describe them as “fine”. Text was sharp, but just slightly lighter and more faded than the original document; just enough that you can see the difference between the original and the scan, but only if you hold them side-by-side. It’s still a usable scan. Photos on documents turned out a bit grainy, however. Scanning a few 4x6 photos, I found them to be mediocre at best, with a very warm color tone and lots of grain in the scanned images. Added tip: When scanning photos, do not raise up the lid as the end of the photo paper will drag a bit due to the exit curve – just let the photos slide through the machine and out of the back to avoid this. Allegedly, you get more control by using the “Brother iPrint and Scan” software (Android or Apple). I tried the Android version. It was INCREDIBLY painful to install this app and get the wifi to work right on the scanner. Long story short – over an hour later, I had an installed scanner. The app kept refusing to find the scanner, the scanner kept refusing to connect to my wifi, etc. Eventually I got it working, but it should not be so difficult. The software is VERY basic, and I never found out how to get it to open up more scanner settings, other than it allowing me to create a multi-page PDF scan, which you cannot do via the buttons on the unit itself. I did not try the direct cable to pc version. I would say if you are traveling and needed a basic scanner to carry with you, the Brother DS-940DW certainly will get basic jobs done. If you survive the ordeal of app installation, it can make for a decent way to import scans into your phone or tablet. But many scanners, most of which cost less than this one, can do the same thing, and without the app headaches. My rating reflects the good (overall scan quality, battery) and the bad (no included case, horrible app experience).

The Brother - DS-940DW Compact Wireless Duplex Mobile Document Scanner is a great example of squeezing basic features into a small, portable and wireless form factor. Setup takes some time and attention, but once you're finished it is ready to use. The most welcome addition to it's feature-set is that it scans both front and back in a single pass. However, the main feature that a small mobile scanner loses is the ability to auto-feed multiple pages. Each sheet must be manually fed into a narrow slot. This makes it easy for sheets to scan at a slight angle and skew the image. To be clear, this scanner works well for what it offers. My main concern is with it's practical use. I imagine there are some specific situations where this would be a perfect fit. Personally, I find smart phone apps work fine for casual scanning (though without dual-sided, single-pass of course). When I have larger scanning projects, I need something that offers auto-feed or handles non-standard sizes easily. For the right use scenario, this is a tremendous product. Just consider your needs first.