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October 15, 2001
Scanning on the Cheap
By Amy Poftak
Thought you couldn't afford a quality scanner for your school? Think again.
Most scanners these days offer great image resolution and color quality at extremely affordable prices. That's good news for educators and students who have come to depend on these boxy devices for digitizing images and text for Web sites or other multimedia projects, and more recently, for scanning photos and letters directly into e-mail format. The scanners featured here are good places to start your research, but if you're looking for how they fare in test drives, PC World (www.pcworld.com) and CNET (www.cnet.com) have evaluative reviews and current prices for a variety of low- and high-end models. Also of note: digital imaging software maker ScanSoft offers a glossary of scanning terms, tips for first-time buyers, a product guide, and article links you can explore at the company's Web site (www.scansoft.com/scanners).
In the meantime, here are some models to consider.
The cross-platform SnapScan e26 from Agfa offers 600 x 1200 dots per inch (dpi) optical resolution, 42-bit color, USB interface, and three programmable buttons: scan to e-mail (mail function), scan to print (copy function), and open ScanWise (scanning software included with purchase). Other bundled software titles include Adobe PhotoDeluxe for PC, Adobe Photoshop LE for Macintosh, and Ulead Photo Explorer. $156.
Agfa, 100 Challenger Rd., Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660; (877) 753-2432
Canon has recently released the skinny (barely over one inch high) N670U scanner, which has 600 x 1200 dpi optical resolution, 48-bit color, one cable for USB and power, programmable buttons for one-touch scanning, and a hinged cover for scanning bulky items. It comes bundled with ArcSoft photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop elements, and ScanGear Toolbox. The N1240U model comes with the same features as the N670U, but offers a higher resolution at 1200 x 2400 dpi. Both are Windows and Macintosh compatible and include a one-year warranty. N670U: $99. N1240U: $199.
Canon USA, One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042; (800) OK-CANON
Epson's scanner product line includes the Perfection 1240U, a flatbed model equipped with 1200 x 2400 dpi optical resolution, 42-bit color, a USB interface, Windows and Macintosh compatibility, and, according to tests conducted by the NSTL testing laboratory, average scan speeds up to 112 percent faster than its competitors. Also included: EPSON TWAIN scan software, Adobe PhotoDeluxe, and ArcSoft PhotoPrinter. $269.
Epson, 3840 Kilroy Airport Way, Long Beach, CA 90806; (800) 922-8911
Hewlett-Packard's ScanJet 3400cxi (600 x 1200 dpi) and 4400cxi (1200 x 1200 dpi) models can scan, copy, or e-mail anything from paper to 3-D objects. In addition to the HP ScanJet Copy Utility, photo editing and Web creation titles from ArcSoft and Trellix Web are included. The 4400cxi also comes with efax.com, HP Share-to-Web software, and additional ArcSoft programs. Both models have a 90-day hardware warranty. 3400cxi: $99. 4400cxi: $149.
Hewlett-Packard, 3000 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185; (800) 613-2222
ScanMaker 4600 from Microtek is a cross-platform Internet-ready scanner that in addition to offering 2400 x 1200 dpi resolution, 42-bit color, and a USB interface, has an expansion lid for bulky items and three one-touch buttons for scanning, copying, and e-mailing. The software bundle features Adobe PhotoDeluxe, AOL Internet Service, Trellix Web Microtek Edition, and Ulead PhotoExplorer. Also included: a combination digital/PC Web camera and tripod. $179.99.
Microtek, 3715 Doolittle Dr., Redondo Beach, CA 90278; (888) 722-6255
The UMAX Astra 6400, a recent "editor's choice" selection on CNET, features 600 x 1200 dpi optical resolution; 42-bit color; one-touch buttons for scanning to a printer, software, or e-mail; a FireWire card for PCs; and several software titles: Adobe Photoshop LE, ScanSoft OmniPage LE, UMAX VistaScan, and a Scanner Solutions e-book. Windows and Macintosh compatible. $129.99.
UMAX, 3561 Gateway Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538; (510) 651-4000
Visioneer's OneTouch 8900 USB offers 1200 x 4800 dpi optical resolution; 48-bit color; and speed buttons for copying, faxing, e-mailing, and scanning into Adobe Photoshop LE or ScanSoft PaperPort software, where users can adjust image, annotate documents, and crop photographs. Compatible with Windows 98/2000/ME, this scanner uses a USB interface. $129.99.
Visioneer, 5673 Gibraltar Dr., Ste. 150, Pleasanton, CA 94588; (888) 229-4172
Portable Pen Scanners
While all of the scanners featured above are suitable for classroom and media center tables, what if you're on the road or at the local library and don't want to lug around all 7.7 pounds of the UMAX Astra 6400? Enter a new class of portable scanning devices that are the size of a highlighter pen and can be used to scan and transfer text (sliding across words as you would with a real pen) to your computer or handheld device.
The C-Pen 600C from C Technologies allows users to save up to 2,000 pages of printed text, store and look up address book information, take notes, and transfer text or data via cable or infrared to a Windows PC or Palm. The C-Pen also includes a dictionary either pre-installed or available to download from C Technologies' Web site-slide the pen over a word and get an instant definition. $249.
C Technologies, Ideon Research Park, Scheelevagen 15, SE-223 70 Lund, Sweden; (877) 275-2736m
WizCom Technologies' QuickLink Pen has several features included: the ability to scan information into applications in real time; Palm/Visor compatibility (Windows CE devices require download of software available at the WizCom site); and up to 1,000 pages of data storage. It is compatible with PCs running Windows 95 or higher and connects via serial, infrared, or optional USB adapter ($45) and infrared adapter ($39.95). $179.
WizCom Technologies, 257 Great Rd., Acton, MA 01720; (888) 777-0552
Amy Poftak is executive editor of T&L.
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