Reviews for NeatDesk for Mac

I was very apprehensive about purchasing the product but I did it anyway. The software and scanner were easily setup in a matter of minutes. Started scanning immediately. My receipts were pretty battered but as long as the leading edge was fairly straight I had no problems. I've scanned hundreds of receipts to date without issue. The software does a pretty good job at reading the various documents. Reliability seems to vary with the condition of the receipt. I will not be using the cloud because it's too expensive for what I need. Backups were a concern but there appears to be no issue as long as the scanning software is closed BEFORE you make a copy of the library for storage on my NAS for safekeeping.

5 of 5 people found this useful

This scanner and software are excellent...I am actually reviewing it because I saw some poor reviews and cant believe that anyone had negative things to say! Ive had my neat desk for 2 years and use it very frequently -multiple times daily. I have also purchased 2 additional neat desks since then for other people that work with me because it has been so useful to me. I rarely have problems with the papers going through the feeder for multiple page documents and the software is great for the price it handles everything I need it to. I highly recommend it.

10 of 14 people found this useful

I have used this product since version 2. Like the other reviewers, I have struggled with its crashes, lockups, the terrible OCR (gets it right maybe a third the time which means you really need to enter your metadata manually), general over all bugginess. At the same, time, I have tried every other competing "paperless" app out there and none do my job as well as this one. "Paperless" from Mariner is getting close, but still not as good.

So I have put up with its problems. I have years worth of receipts and data entered into it.

But what got me livid is that it has now since version 4 and this new cloud, for all intents and purposes, become spyware. These are your financial records, and when opened whether you use the cloud services or not, it connects to 15 different servers. Including doubleclick, hubspot, google, amazon whose sole purpose is to collect data on YOU. The user.

If you read the privacy policy, like most companies now, they collect data on your use of their site, and they reserve the right to poke into your stored in the cloud data. Which I personally think is a bad idea for storing financial records anyway if you have any concern about your privacy.

But nothing about using this app on a local machine with locally stored data. What makes a paperless office app useful is the metadata. Which is all typed. It is entirely possible with the right network software to block these tracking companies out, but you are taking time, money and trouble to do it. It resembles the Sears fiasco some time back where the FTC put a stop to the collecting data on users.

If I had the money for it, I'd sue them. As it stands, like several other reviewers have quoted, I have hundreds of hours of work which I am faced with doing over in another app.

The scanner itself? I have had occasional feed problems with it like some of the others have mentioned where it eats multiple pages at once, It has a particularly hard time with slick thermal paper receipts. Change of paper thickness gives it a hard time. But by and large the scanner itself has been a workhorse.

My biggest issue is with the software. And since like several others have quoted, the scanner won't work with other software, so I am faced with ditching and replacing that too.

51 of 52 people found this useful

I've an Epson Artisan 837 Multi - Function, which doesn't scan standard size receipts, or business cards via the document feeder. So, I purchased NeatDesk, and have been so disappointed! One day after purchase, the Software became non - functional, and I was prompted to install the complementary Upgrade. I copied my NeatDesk data as recommended, but the Upgrade wouldn't recognize it. Several attempts at re - installation were finally successful, but then the Editor feature, which allows you to edit your data, became permanently greyed - out. Essentially, it's Receipt Roulette, and a great way I wasted three (3) days of time.

42 of 43 people found this useful

Just a quick review to agree with others.
This does not work properly at all, had 2 of them and returned them due to them simply failing after short usage.

In the end I bit the bullet and bought the market leader Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500M, which works flawlessly, without all the software niggles the NeatDesk machine has.
Everyone should own the S1500M machine if they really want to be SERIOUS about going paper-free. It really has worked for me and several friends also use one accordingly, even in their businesses, as nothing really competes with it for home or SME business usage.

Why they bothered to release this, one really wonders. No, the NeatDesk is definitely a second-rate option here in comparison with the S1500M.

42 of 44 people found this useful

I just ordered a second one for my residence. The first one I use at my office and it has made my life a lot easier, no more hunting down receipts to be expensed, everything is organized on my Mac and no more chasing paper. Fantastic product.

26 of 33 people found this useful

This scanner has helped me become very organized easily. I have owned a bike shop for 13 years and have lots of paperwork. I'm not computer savvy and needed something to help me organize invoices, rental forms, manufacturer price lists, etc. This scanner, the cloud, and Dropbox combined together has been terrific.

If you are as unorganized, impatient and computer illiterate as I am, I am encouraging you to try it. It's the easiest thing I've found. Today I scanned business cards, moved the information to the address book file in the program with a click, and showed it off to the guys at the bike shop when it showed up on my iPhone like a magic trick. Rock on.

36 of 45 people found this useful

I researched heavily, considering that I'm moving to an entirely (or as close as I can possibly get) paperless office. I needed a workhorse. This is not that. What IS that, however, is the Fujitsu Scan Snap, which, after a few trials with each, was the one I eventually bought. It blows this one away, and though the footprint is perhaps bulkier, it still has an "Apple" feel to the design.

I really wanted NeatDesk to be my choice, but I had to go with the one that really pulls the cart. I was very surprised to find that I could not buy the ScanSnap through Apple. I almost always like the outside maker product/accessory offerings made here at the Apple site, but this is one they flubbed.

56 of 67 people found this useful

We have been using these scanner (2) on our PCs with no problems. However, do not use it on a mac. I bought the mac software for $75. It keeps freezing up our imac. The scanner freezes up too. This software is not compatible with macs. I wish I've red the reviews before I bought the software.

47 of 55 people found this useful