Scanners are peripheral devices that allow you to scan images and documents into your computer. Some printers come with a scanner function, as do some fax machines. Scanners come in all shapes and sizes, from the common flat-bed style where you place a document flat on the top of the scanner, to hand held versions that you roll across the face of a document, to high-end drum scanners for scanning large documents.
Scanners work by converting whatever document is run through the scanner into a graphic image. All documents scanned are recorded as images, and special software is needed to convert a scanned page of text to an electronic document.
Scanners also come in a range of prices and speeds. Some new computer bundles even come with a cheap scanner included. The type and style of scanner you buy - if any - will depend entirely on the use you will put the scanner to. For example, if you want to scan photographs to share with friends, then a simple flat-bed scanner or photo scanner is all you will need. However, if you need to convert large numbers of printed or written documents for archive purposes, then a more expensive high-speed scanner with suitable Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software will likely be a better choice.
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