A scanner capable of operating independent of an attached computer so that scans of text and images can be instantly stored on media. In one embodiment of the present invention, a zip drive or CD burner receives information directly from the scanner so that information is stored instantly upon scanning without the need to operate a separate computer or deal with separate steps of scanning, sorting, and then recording onto media. While a computer, scanner, and media recording device are generally necessary to scan office documents, for example, the present invention can operate independently of all of them without the hassle of networking and communication interface problems.