Reddit reviews VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Portable Scanner (PDS ST415 WM)
We found 3 Reddit comments about VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand Portable Scanner (PDS ST415 WM). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
CONVERT YOUR OLD PHOTOS INTO DIGITAL FILES - Scan documents and photos in color or black and white as PDF or JPEG filesARCHIVE AND ORGANIZE YOUR SCANS - Connect your scanner to a computer (Windows or Mac OS) using the included USB cable and a microSD card up to 32GB (SD card required, NOT included) to view and transfer your filesCOMPACT AND PORTABLE - Slide your scanner into the drawstring pouch, which slips conveniently into a purse or briefcase so you can scan important documents and photos on-the-go when no copier is availableINCLUDES BONUS OCR SOFTWARE - Optical Character Recognition software allows you to convert saved documents into text editable and searchable files compatible with popular word processing and spreadsheet software (software is Windows only; not compatible with Mac OS)SCANNING SPECS - Plug-and-play device scans documents 8.27 inches wide and up to 98 inches long in as little as 3 seconds, with resolution choices of 300DPI, 600DPI, or 900DPI
First be polite and be prepared for more brickwalls, before you got into genealogy, how would you react if some stranger walked up to you and started asking you questions about their family/history/past... it can get creepy really fast.
I always start with in personal visits first. Be polite, and introduce yourself and how you are related. Be sure to list DIRECT relationships... they may not know who their GREAT Aunt is, so you may have to explain how you are related.
When asking for information, start with dead people... or people you don't have much information on. Once they warm up to you, you can start asking for information about the living. I have found that by providing them with something they may know about someone is a good way to break the ice. You have to build a relationship (if you don't already have one) with these people and sometimes that is a bit of a challenge.
If you have any documentation from people they would know, Pictures and records, bring those along. I don't know how many times I have brought pictures of family with me, and they are usually pictures that they have not seen. Once the pictures are out, most of the time it turns into a "you showed me yours, let me show you mine".
If you don't have a portable scanner, get one (This is the one I use). Get scans of whatever they will let you scan, even if they ahve old books, flip though them and if you find anything that is hand written scan that, you never know where a small piece of information will lead you. Don't ask for the original. Sometimes they will be interested in providing you the original, but 8 times out of 10, they won't.
Don't forget about them. After you get the information, ask for an email address, and send updates, don't just use them for information and never talk to them again, most of the time people will appreciate being included in your research.
I have a listserv I use to subscribe people that want to keep up with updates that we have made.
And that is about it, just remember it can get awkward quickly, so having some ammo of familiar information will warm them up nicely...
Oh God, yes, one of those clipboards with internal storage is a must. I have a plastic one, made by Dexas (like $6 at Wal-Mart) and a heavy duty aluminum one.
The pens that have 4 colors in one can be a lifesaver.
Get tons of index cards for making flashcards.
Get a bunch of those little post it flags to mark important passages in texts.
No-bleed, possibly erasable highlighters.
I also got a mini portable scanner. It was a lifesaver in the library.
You mentioned a new backpack. Depending on how your days work out, you might want to consider something with wheels. I'd avoid the rolling crates like this. They always fell apart on me.
I wound up amassing SO MUCH loose paper, I needed tons of binder clips and paper clips to keep it organized.
A mini stapler can be a godsend when your prof hands out 10 page unstapled packets.
A computer with a printer. Some people buy a course book with friends and scan it with a hand scanner to save on money. Books can be about $400-600 per semester. Or they just download the book from about a billion sources. A hand scanner might be useful for scanning books that are on reserve for courses in your library.
hand scanner example
http://www.amazon.com/VuPoint-Solutions-Magic-Portable-Scanner/dp/B004EFXW6Q/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1A8KYCFVK0FD012GC2JQ