This product review concentrates on ImagingGroup's ScanToNotes product (at http://theimaginggroup.com/scantonotes.html), which allows you to scan documents and images directly into Notes documents as Rich Text attachments, or to save them to your hard drive, without ever leaving Notes. Although the user interface provides a deceptively simple, one-click scanning operation, the customizable features of the product are subtle and complex; there's more to ScanToNotes than meets the eye.

Who should look into ScanToNotes?
ScanToNotes could be useful in a number of different environments. Their marketing material describes scenarios in which you might need to store large volumes of documents or CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drawings. However, there's no reason to avoid scanning complex color images--say, for a Web site archive--into a Notes database using ScanToNotes.

In the true spirit of the Notes and Domino development platform, ScanToNotes provides a flexible programming infrastructure that allows you to tweak and refine it for your own purposes. However, the product comes with a prefab scanning application, the ScanToNotes (SCANTONO.NSF) database, which even a complete non-developer could use.

The ScanToNotes product has the following user and system requirements:

• Microsoft Windows 95 or higher, IBM PC compatible 486+ platform is required (sorry, Mac enthusiasts!), with at least 32MB of RAM available. For this review, I used a Windows NT 4.0 Compaq Prosignia 300 setup. A CD ROM drive or an Internet connection is required to install the software; a VGA (Video Graphics Array) or better monitor is assumed.

• Notes 5.X or greater is required. I used the 5.0.1b North American edition.

• To take full advantage of customizing the software, I would suggest that you have some Notes development skills and that a Notes Designer client be readily accessible.

• A TWAIN compliant scanner is recommended. The software gives you the option of using the ScanToNotes interface or the software that comes with your scanner. I used an HP ScanJet 4C with a SCSI interface.

The product is very reasonably priced at $199, making it accessible to just about any level of developer. There are two related products, ScanToMail (scan images for display in Notes email documents) and ScanToNotes DLX (includes ScanToNotes and ScanToMail), ranging from $159-$299, which is also pretty affordable.