The Canon ImageFormula P-150 Portable Document Scanner is now Mac-Compatible

The recently-released Canon imageFORMULA P-150 scanner was last month awarded with a prestigious iF Design Award. This month, as if to add to the considerable level of excitement around the product, Canon has announced the P-150 is becoming Mac-compatible as well. Here, we’ll reveal what the iF Design panel found so impressive about the imageFORMULA P-150 and tell you more about Canon’s recent decision to share the machines numerous capabilities with the ever-growing numbers of Mac-users.

The P-150 – ‘Versatility, Mobility and Style’

Since its release in November 2009, the imageFORMULA P-150 has been widely praised for its versatility and mobility and has been keenly seized upon by many offices for whom space is at a real premium. And the P150’s also become a real favourite with buyers for who expect the very highest standards in design. The P-150 is one of the smallest and fastest, USB-powered A4 Duplex scanners on the market but is one of the sleekest designs around too, with a piano forte style black finish which would be difficult to see as unfashionable in practically any context. The needs of mobile users have also played centrally in the imageFormula P-150’s design – for those looking to scan and transfer documents remotely – it has a truly miniscule footprint and with its incredibly simple-to-use operation and built-in Capture OnTouch software, users can start scanning quickly and easily from any laptop, PC and now even, Mac.

iF Design

In due recognition of all the effort that has clearly gone into such a robust yet elegant little package, iF Design have recently decided to award the P-150 with a prestigious iF Design Award. For over 56 years, the iF Product Design Awards panel has assessed a total of over 108,000 products worldwide, judging them on a number of design-related criteria. First and foremost, unsurprisingly, there’s design quality. Products must really stand out from their peers – and for the right reasons. Then there’s workmanship, with the panel assessing build quality as well as manufacturing processes and techniques. Materials play a very important part too, as do the categories of environmental friendliness, functionality, ergonomics, visualisation of use, safety, brand value, branding and universal design.

In this year’s selection, P-150 was selected from approximately 2500 entries and will now be able to display the coveted iF emblem, in recognition of its outstanding design credentials. iF Design’s online exhibition has been designed to showcase the winning products and visitors can check-out the Canon imageFORMULA P-150, in the ‘computer’ category.

Trevor Dodsworth, Head of Marketing for Canon UK Business Solutions, commented on the P-150,

The Canon design team have re-invented the portable document scanner with one of the fastest, lightest and quickest products in its class. It combines looks, with its contemporary black piano style finish and user-friendly features, with some outstanding performance characteristics, demonstrating we are leading the way in imaging technology, innovation and style in this market.

And understandably, Canon are delighted to have received the award from iF Design,

This award marks the first time that iF Design has recognised the outstanding qualities of a Canon scanner with an automatic feeder, meaning it is perfect for ad hoc scans through to large batches. As a company, we continue to push the boundaries of product development and can bring the contemporary, classic feel of our consumer products into the business arena – and with stunning results.  

New P-150 Mac-compatibility

Falcon Document Management, as a major Canon Office Solutions supplier is equally pleased that the imageFORMULA P-150 has been recognised as a truly outstanding machine by the Design Awards selection panel at iF Design. And it is also hoped that the move to make this scanner truly universal, with the advent of Mac-compatibility, will give Canon the decisive edge over incumbent manufacturers of inferior Mac-compatible machines. Trevor Dodsworth explains how the decision to make the P-150 Mac-compatible came about,

After the successful launch of the imageFORMULA P-150 we received overwhelming interest from the Mac community, so we are pleased to now be able to announce that the P-150 can now also be used on Mac systems. The P-150’s eye-catching design, innovative technology and portability will no doubt appeal to the style conscious Apple Mac market.

So new and existing users of the P-150 will be able to make their machines Mac-compatible with the simple installation of a Mac TWAIN driver, which is available now from the Canon support website. And Mac users will also be able to enjoy a new version of the impressive, ultra user-friendly Capture OnTouch software which enables them to quickly share information ‘on the cloud’.

It’s been a very good couple of months for Canon, who’ve released what seems like a deluge of outstandingly innovative and exciting products. Let’s hope that amidst all the commotion, PC and Mac-users looking for a high-performance portable scanner with looks to match, will be able to spot the P-150, newly-crowned winner of the coveted iF Design Award.