I’m a recently certified NSA who is trying to obtain all the equipment I need before my first signing. I would like to have sufficient supplies to be able to do mobile signings. I can’t imagine going home after every signing to scan back documents.
I am wondering if anyone uses an all-in-one printer in their trunk. Or do people find a portable scanner to be more reliable?
Is there anything else I would need to know to be set up as a mobile NSA? Is there anything else I need to think about?
(If there is another thread that addresses this question, please feel free to direct me there.)
There are a few other threads up in the A Place to Talk Technology category about printers and a few specifically about having them mobile in a car.
This post is probably the closest to your exact scenario and should help a little about getting everything set up.
If you’re just specifically looking for a good printer/scanner combo there are lots of threads about that but this one and this one are two of the most active and recent.
If you’re concerned about reliability then, yes, just going with a scanner will likely mean a reduced possibility of equipment failure since traditional laser printers aren’t really meant to be moved/bumped/shaken so much. One have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too solution would be getting an LED laser printer. These have faaar fewer moving parts than a traditional laser printer sine they light the drum all at once with LEDs instead of using a moving laser and mirrors. Only a few manufacturers make them though. I believe Oki is the main one right now. These should be far more reliable being used in a vehicle over the long-run, but the cheapest all-in-one of these I’ve seen is about $400-$500 new, where a nice traditional laser can be had for $250. Another approach would be to place the printer in some type of crate atop a suspension of sorts. Maybe memory foam, or those anti-vibration feet used for washers/dryers. Lastly, maybe buying your printer at Costco or someplace with great extended warranties that don’t have an exclusion for this type of use.
Ultimately, if you have the space for a small all-in-one, that’d be my suggestion. You would solve multiple issues with one purchase and the price difference is negligible between a decent AIO printer and a decent standalone scanner. To me, if the scanner isn’t going to handle 50+ pages in its feeder (which are pricier), I’m probably better off time-wise just using a good app on my phone (make sure it doesn’t record to your photos library, only to an encrypted memory card).
I rented a GREAT Toshiba from a copy company in my town. $65 per month. They supply the toner and maintenance. I didn’t want to invest in a machine till I knew I was going to stick with this. And also if it was worth the investment.
