Epson has introduced a new color document scanner built for speed, versatility, and ease of use.
Available now via authorized Epson CapturePro resellers, the DS-790WN replaces the earlier DS-780N, which first reached market in 2017. Unlike that product, which relied on an external attachment for network connectivity, the DS-790WN comes with built-in support for both wired and wireless networking, making it a fit for everyone from large offices with high-speed LANs to Wi-Fi-only small businesses and home-based remote employees.
“It’s not really honed into one particular user situation,” says Greg Newcomb, an associate product manager for scanners at Epson, who cites hospitals, car dealerships, and schools as just three of many potential buyers.
The new product offers a variety of PC-free scanning features too, including the ability to scan directly from the device itself or the Epson Smart Panel mobile app to a network folder, an email address, a cloud storage repository like Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Drive, or a USB flash drive via the unit’s USB-A port.
The scanner’s 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen, which is significantly bigger than the DS-780N’s 2.7-inch interface, allows companies to assign specific job icons to individual employees or workgroups. “It makes it easier for different users to find and locate the scan jobs they need to work with,” Newcomb says. “One department’s jobs may all be done in a single color like red or blue or green, whereas another department’s jobs may all be coded with a different color.”
Administrators can configure the device via netconfig, the Smart Panel app, or the touchscreen. Using Epson’s Document CapturePro Server Authentication Edition, which is a free, optional add-on, or a third-party card reader they can authenticate users and set user-specific access rights.
“This basically allows an IT manager to control what scan jobs are visible to what users based on the login,” Newcomb says. Technicians can also limit which of the scanner’s functions specific users can access to prevent accidental or malicious leaks of sensitive documents. Archived usage records are available for post-incident forensics as well.
Like the DS-780N, the DS-790WN scans up to 45 pages per minute and 90 images per minute, supports one-pass duplex scanning, comes with TWAIN and ISIS drivers, and has a 100-page automatic document feeder. The peak daily duty cycle on the new product is 7,000 pages, however, versus 5,000 in its predecessor. Its $849 manufacturer suggested retail price includes a three-year limited warranty with advanced exchange.
Extended warranty coverage for one or two additional years is available separately as well, along with two different roller kits, a cleaning kit, carrier sheets, and a paper assembly plate.