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From...
Reviewing the top 10 scanners
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In this story: This Month's Players New Scanners Make the Cut Reviews: SOHO Scanners Reviews: Corporate Scanners RELATED STORIES, SITES 
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by Richard Jantz
(IDG) -- Color scanners have become just as commonplace in small and home offices as they are in the corporate world. It's no wonder, considering how affordable the latest crop of flatbed models is: Half of the scanners we've reviewed here cost less than $140, and three go for less than $100. Only a trio of models were that cheap in PC World's last scanners roundup, with only one unit coming in under $100.
With scanners becoming so inexpensive, useful, and easily available, we realize it isn't enough to offer buying advice in the form of periodic roundup reviews only. So this month we're kicking off a regular Top 10 Scanners that will give you an ongoing guide. If you've been waiting for a great bargain on a scanner, look no further than this inaugural edition. Any of the units on our chart can make good-quality scans of color and black-and-white photos and documents, and also convert text pages into editable word processing documents. Many units can also scan transparent media, such as 35mm slides and film negatives, using an integrated or optional add-on transparency adapter.
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Corporate users will need additional features, such as optional automatic document feeders, to facilitate scanning multipage documents. They will also find it handy to be able to scan documents that are larger than letter size. SOHO users may not need a transparency adapter or automatic document feeder to begin with, but buying a unit that has these options is a smart move because their needs may change in the future.
All the models in our Top 10 Scanners are fully capable, 36-bit flatbeds with at least 600-by-1200-dpi optical resolution and a letter-size scanning area of at least 8.5 by 11.7 inches. When it comes to connections, more and more scanners are jumping on the Universal Serial Bus. Our Top 10 list contains more USB scanners than either parallel port or SCSI units. But SCSI units--with their higher performance potential--still dominate the corporate market. Although the performance of parallel port models tends to be a bit sluggish, they're still a godsend for many people who own older, non-Windows 98 PCs that lack USB ports. And unless you already have a SCSI-equipped PC, you'll have to install an internal SCSI adapter to use a SCSI unit. So parallel port and USB scanners--which can be installed without taking your PC's cover off--are your most likely choices unless you're comfortable performing internal upgrades.
All models in our Top 10 Scanners come bundled with TWAIN-compliant scanning software, image editing applications, such as Adobe PhotoDeluxe or Ulead PhotoImpact, and optical character recognition software (Caere OmniPage and Xerox TextBridge are most common).
On the Corporate Scanners chart, you'll find two models that can handle legal-size 8.5-by-14-inch documents, which makes them a better tool for business users--such as people in the legal and insurance industries--as well as government and education offices. However, due to their larger scanning area and sturdier construction, most corporate scanners are heavier and much more expensive than SOHO scanners. The lightest SOHO scanner, Plustek's $139 OpticPro 9636T, weighs a scant 6.2 pounds, while Agfa's industrial-strength $699 DuoScan T1200 weighs a hefty 38 pounds.
New Scanners Make the CutThis month we tested three new USB scanners--from Microtek, Hewlett-Packard, and Visioneer--and were pleased that two of these made our charts.
The scanner with a bullet is clearly Microtek's SlimScan C6, which is the first contact-image sensor scanner to make it into one of our reviews. CIS is a newer alternative to a charge-coupled device that acts as the "eye" of the scanner. All the rest of the models in the Top 10 Scanners are CCD units. The SlimScan earns high marks for its inexpensive price and light, slim design as well as its impressive scan quality and other features. Best of all, Microtek provides a SlimScan hotline seven days a week, bucking the trend among some scanner vendors to cut back on technical support.
Hewlett-Packard's new ScanJet 5200Cse also made the cut, due to its admirable scan quality, good software bundle, and overall versatility and ease of use. But quality comes at a price: Like our SOHO Best Buy, the Epson Perfection 636, the ScanJet 5200Cse has a street price of $299.
The final new scanner we reviewed, the $150 Visioneer OneTouch 7300U, didn't make our SOHO chart. Although it earned good scores for its scan quality and ease of use, it was only satisfactory in terms of its performance, support policies and quality, and overall features.
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| Epson Perfection 636 Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Good-looking high-resolution scans, fast, start button, includes SCSI adapter. CON: Expensive, harder to install than USB or parallel port model. | ||||
With its impressive overall performance, good-looking color scans, and easy, one-button operation, the $299 Epson Perfection 636 earns our SOHO Best Buy. And this sturdy unit has the options you may need as your business grows, including a transparency adapter and automatic document feeder. Although it's one of the most expensive SOHO scanners listed, the Perfection is the only SCSI model in the group, which helped it top our speed tests and makes it a great choice for busy offices. Of course, this unit will require you to install a SCSI adapter in your PC if you don't already have one. The good news is that Epson includes an adapter. The Perfection 636 also can deliver higher resolution scans than the other SOHO units: 600-by-2400 dpi, compared with the more common 600-by-1200 dpi capabilities. Naturally, higher resolution results in greater detail. This model comes with a good software bundle, including PhotoDeluxe Business Edition 1.0 and TextBridge Classic 2.0, Presto PageManager 1.0, and Epson's versatile TWAIN scanning software, which provides both easy and advanced modes, making it suitable for either novice or veteran users. An optional transparency unit ($99) and automatic document feeder ($199) make the Perfection an excellent investment for those who want an upgrade path to increase their scanner's usefulness. The Perfection's one-year warranty and other support policies are standard: Technical support is available 12 hours each weekday (not toll-free), but weekend support has been discontinued. Sometimes, however, automated support is all you need, and Epson provides it, toll-free, around the clock. Internet-based help via Epson's Web site and e-mail services is also available.
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 | Epson Perfection 636 | ||||
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| Microtek SlimScan C6 Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: High-quality scans, great price, compact, start button. CON: Could be faster, no optional transparency adapter or automatic document feeder. | |||||
Microtek's new $90 SlimScan C6 is an impressive newcomer to our reviews. Because of its small size and low price, budget and home buyers will find this model particularly attractive. Weighing in at 7.7 pounds and measuring less than 2 inches in height, this scanner is the most compact model we've tested. That's because under the hood, the SlimScan uses a contact image sensor, a more compact and power-efficient scanning device than the charge-coupled device sensors used by the rest. Although we have generally been happier with the scans of CCD models, we were pleased to see that the SlimScan provides higher-quality scans than most CIS models we've reviewed--on par with many CCD units. The SlimScan earned a very good rating for scan quality and good ratings for ease of use and support policies. Despite its USB connection, however, the SlimScan's performance was only satisfactory in our scan speed test. Thus, heavy-duty users may prefer a speedier model or one with upgradable accessories, such as an automatic document feeder or transparency adapter, which the SlimScan lacks. Novices will like SlimScan's front-panel start button. The ample array of bundled software includes two image editors, easy-to-use PhotoDeluxe 2.0 and more robust PhotoImpact 4.2, plus OmniPage LE 5.1 for OCR, PageKeeper Standard 3.0, and a handy utility for scanning, copying, faxing, and more. Beyond the typical one-year warranty, fax-back support, and Internet-based help (via Microtek's Web site and e-mail services), Microtek has admirably increased its technical support to 12 hours on weekdays and 14 hours all weekend. Although phone calls are not toll-free, Microtek is one of the few manufacturers to offer live help seven days a week.
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| Microtek SlimScan C6 | ||||
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| Microtek ScanMaker X6 Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Good-quality scans, reasonably fast, start button. CON: Test unit had no quick-start guide. | |||||
This month, Microtek's ScanMaker X6 has lowered its price by $29 and comes with a better technical support program than it did when we reviewed it in April. These factors, along with its good scores, help keep the ScanMaker X6 high on our chart. Like the pricier Epson Perfection 636, the $120 ScanMaker X6 is upgradable: If you want to increase the scanner's overall functionality, both an optional transparency adapter ($79) and automatic document feeder ($149) are available. These factors make it a nice choice for business buyers on a budget. In our tests, the ScanMaker X6 earned good scores for scan quality, support, and features. Its biggest blemish was a merely satisfactory score for its ease of use, due in part to the lack of fast-start scanning instructions. According to Microtek, however, this scanner now comes with a step-by-step guide. The ScanMaker X6 comes with two image editors, easy PhotoDeluxe 2.0 and the more advanced PhotoImpact 4.2, plus OmniPage LE 5.1 for OCR, PageKeeper Standard 3.0, and a scanning utility for scanning, copying, faxing, and more. As an added perk, Microtek now offers more technical support hours for the ScanMaker X6: 12 hours of live help on weekdays and 7 hours on Saturdays and Sundays (you pay any toll charges). You also get the usual one-year warranty, fax-back support, and Internet-based help, via Microtek's Web site and e-mail services.
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| Microtek ScanMaker X6 | ||||
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| HP ScanJet 5200Cse Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: High-quality scans, dual parallel port/USB interface, start button. CON: Expensive, somewhat bulky. | |||||
Another addition to this month's SOHO chart is Hewlett-Packard's ScanJet 5200Cse. This model comes with the options growing businesses may need, such as a 35mm slide adapter ($20) and a automatic document feeder ($199). It produces handsome scans, which earned it a very good scan quality rating. It also performed relatively well in scan speed, ease of use, and overall features, garnering a good rating in each of those categories. The ScanJet 5200Cse is the only SOHO scanner we tested that can be used as a parallel port or USB device, and this sturdy unit conveniently comes with cables for both interfaces. Bundled software includes PhotoDeluxe Business Edition 1.0, OmniPage LE 5.1 for OCR, PageKeeper Standard 3.0, and HP's easy TWAIN scanning software. At a price of $299 and a weight of 12.5 pounds, the ScanJet 5200Cse is one of the most expensive and heaviest units on our SOHO chart. Unfortunately, HP has cut back on its technical support. It now charges for support on weekends, and although you can now get help for 12 hours on weekdays, the number is not toll-free. After your 90 days of free technical support expire, you can call a fee-based number. This scanner also comes with the usual one-year warranty and Internet-based help via HP's Web site and e-mail service.
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| HP ScanJet 5200Cse | ||||
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| Acer AcerScan Prisa 620U Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Inexpensive, reasonably fast, toll-free 24-hour support. CON: Limited software, no start button, no optional transparency adapter or automatic document feeder. | |||||
Thanks to a $30 reduction in price, the AcerScan Prisa 620U is now an attractive value for SOHO users on a budget. With a current street price of just $99, the AcerScan is a significantly better deal than it was when we reviewed it in April. In addition to being one of the least expensive scanners we tested, the AcerScan earned a very good rating for scan speed. It's the only scanner on the chart that comes with round-the-clock, toll-free technical support. The AcerScan received only satisfactory marks for its scan quality, ease of use, and overall features, however. For example, its bundled software could be better. The AcerScan comes with PhotoExpress 2.0, which is not as strong an image editor as PhotoDeluxe or PhotoImpact, and there's no document management application at all. It does come with TextBridge Classic 2.0 for OCR. A lack of accessory options (such as an optional automatic document feeder or a transparency adapter) also makes this model less desirable as an all-purpose scanning tool. The AcerScan comes with a standard one-year warranty, along with Internet help via Acer's Web site and e-mail assistance.
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| Acer AcerScan Prisa 620U | ||||
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| Plustek OpticPro 9636T Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Good scan quality, lightweight, integrated transparency unit. CON: Limited software, no start button. | |||||
If you want a moderately priced, one-stop scanning solution that can handle paper documents, photos, slides, and negatives, Plustek's utilitarian OpticPro 9636T is for you. This $139 scanner is $10 cheaper than it was when we reviewed it in April, and is the only SOHO model on the chart with an integrated transparency adapter. At a mere 6.2 pounds, it's also the most lightweight scanner of the bunch. The built-in transparency unit lets you scan 35mm slides and negatives right out of the box. The unit includes two 35mm film holders (one for slides, one for negative strips) that fit easily under the scanner's cover. In addition to earning a very good score for its features, the OpticPro also garnered good scores for its scan quality, ease of use, and support policies. If this scanner has a weakness, it's simply that its somewhat sluggish parallel port interface resulted in scan speeds that were only satisfactory. The OpticPro also doesn't provide any accessory options such as an automatic document feeder or an attachment for scanning transparencies larger than 35mm film. This unit comes with a decent software bundle that includes two image editors--the easy-to-use PhotoDeluxe 2.0 and the more advanced Picture Publisher 7.0--plus TextBridge Classic and a utility for scanning, copying, faxing, and so on. Missing, however, is a document management application. Plustek provides a standard one-year warranty and Internet help (via the company's Web site and its e-mail service) and offers 11 hours of toll-call technical support on weekdays.
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| Plustek OpticPro 9636T | ||||
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| Pacific Image ScanAce 1236P Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: High-quality scans, great price. CON: Overall performance only satisfactory, somewhat bulky, no start button, no optional transparency adapter or automatic document feeder. | |||||
High-quality scans don't always require an expensive scanner. Pacific Image's $90 ScanAce 1236P is capable of delivering very good scans, yet it's also one of the least expensive units on the chart. But beyond the ScanAce's strong scan quality and bargain-basement price--which is $9 less than in April--there aren't many reasons to recommend this unit. The ScanAce earned only satisfactory scores for its scan speed (via parallel port), features, and support, and a poor rating for ease of use. This low rating is of particular concern to home users, who would otherwise be attracted to this scanner. The software bundled with the ScanAce isn't as well known as the packages that come with most of the others scanners on the chart. Included are Presto ImageFolio for image editing, Presto Wordlinx for OCR, PageFiler for document management, and other applications (such as Presto PhotoAlbum) that are aimed at home users rather than business users. Technical support is available nine hours per weekday, and there is no weekend support. Unfortunately, Pacific Image no longer offers a toll-free support number. It does provide a standard one-year warranty and some help over the Internet by way of its Web site and e-mail service.
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| Pacific Image ScanAce 1236P | ||||
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| UMAX Astra 2400S Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Good quality, speedy high-resolution scans, great price. CON: Harder to install than USB or parallel port models, no start button. | ||||
In the corporate world, the two main groups of scanner users are document-based and graphics-based workgroups. Few scanners are better suited to meet the needs of both audiences than the Umax Astra 2400S--our Corporate Scanner Best Buy. With its recent sharp drop from $399 to $299, the Astra is now one of the best scanner values available for serious business users. It delivers good-quality scans, excellent speed (thanks to its fast SCSI interface), and very good features overall. This unit includes a SCSI card, which makes its price even more attractive. Like the $299 Epson Perfection 636 (our SOHO Scanner Best Buy), the Astra delivers scans at a higher resolution (600-by-2400 dpi) than the 600-by-1200 dpi most units can achieve. But unlike the SOHO scanners (including the Perfection), the Astra isn't limited to letter-size scans: Its large scan bed can also handle legal-size documents. If you do a lot of OCR work, you can pick up a relatively pricey automatic document feeder ($349) unit for the Astra. If your job calls for scanning photos and producing lots of graphics, you may want to spring for the optional transparency adapter ($199). This model comes with a good pair of image editors--PhotoDeluxe Business Edition 1.0 (great for novices) and the robust Photoshop 4.0 LE (for advanced users)--plus OmniPage LE OCR, Presto PageManager 98, PageMill, VistaScan (Umax's own TWAIN driver), and a printing utility. Beyond the Astra's standard one-year warranty and typical Internet-based help (via Umax's Web site and e-mail assistance), technical support is available 14 hours during weekdays and 9 hours on Saturday. Support is no longer toll-free, however.
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| UMAX Astra 2400S | ||||
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| HP ScanJet 6200C Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Excellent scan quality, dual SCSI/USB interface, reasonably fast, start button. CON: SCSI card not included, can't do legal-size documents, moderately priced, no optional full-size transparency adapter. | |||||
Outstanding scan quality and strong performance are the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 6200C's main strengths. In our tests, it also earned good scores for its ease of use and overall features. One nice extra is that HP bundles a small transparency adapter that you can use to scan 35mm slides. But the adapter works with these 1-by-1.5-inch slides only, and the ScanJet 6200C lacks any options for scanning larger transparencies. An automatic document feeder, available as an accessory ($199), may be helpful to users who do a lot of OCR. The ScanJet 6200C is the only corporate scanner on the chart that supports both SCSI and USB interfaces. As expected, the ScanJet 6200C clocked better scan speed scores when using its SCSI interface, so these numbers are reported on our chart. However, the package lacks a SCSI adapter, so you'll have to supply your own if you want to use its faster interface. Another drawback is that the ScanJet 6200C's scan bed is limited to letter-size (8.5-by-11.7-inch) materials, unlike the other two corporate scanners on our chart. All things considered, however, the ScanJet 6200C is a reasonable choice for the low-volume corporate user who needs an easy-to-use scanner primarily for text documents. The ScanJet comes with good documentation (including a first-rate multimedia tour), and sports a handy start button that you can customize to launch the software you want to use when scanning. The bundled software includes PhotoDeluxe Business Edition, OmniPage LE for OCR, PageKeeper Standard, and HP's own TWAIN driver (PrecisionScan), which does a good job of automatically making adjustments (exposure, color balance, and the like) when scanning color photos. Weekday support is now available 12 hours per day, on your dime. Unfortunately, HP no longer offers free weekend support. But if you're willing to pay extra, you can call a fee-based number on the weekend and after your 90 days of free technical support expire. This scanner also comes with the obligatory one-year warranty and Internet-based help via HP's Web site and e-mail service.
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| HP ScanJet 6200C | ||||
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| Agfa DuoScan T1200 Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Good-quality scans, speedy performance, integrated transparency unit, toll-free support. CON: Requires SCSI card installation, bulky, expensive, no start button. | |||||
Most corporate graphics departments want a scanner capable of producing high-quality scans from transparent media, such as 35mm slides and film negatives, as well as reflective media, such as paper documents and photo prints. When it comes to this dual capability, none of the scanners on the chart fit the bill better than the Agfa DuoScan T1200. And if graphics quality is you prime need, the Agfa should do the job. Unlike other scanners that use a transparency adapter that fits on top of the glass plate, often replacing the scanner's regular lid, the unique DuoScan T1200 uses an internal film adapter. You pull out a drawer in the bottom half of the scanner, carefully arrange your transparencies on a template that fits in the drawer, close the drawer, and then scan away. The Agfa handles 35mm slides as well as larger transparencies up to 8.5 by 10 inches. The DuoScan's setup allows you to scan regular prints and paper documents on top and transparencies of various sizes internally, without switching the scanner's lid. Not surprisingly, this dual-capacity scanner isn't cheap: At $699, the DuoScan is far and away the most expensive scanner on the chart. And at 38 pounds, it's also the heaviest. Clearly, this scanner is an industrial-strength workhorse designed for graphics professionals. The DuoScan also has an optional automatic document feeder unit ($149), which should be useful for companies that perform lots of OCR work. The DuoScan T1200 comes with a full version of Corel Photo-Paint 8, a time-demanding but feature-rich image editor, as well as OmniPageLtd 5.0 OCR, PaperPort for document management, and high-caliber color scanning tools, including Agfa's own FotoLook scanning software and ColorTune CMS, a color management utility. Agfa provides a standard one-year warranty and Internet-based help (via its Web site and e-mail service), and offers 11 hours of toll-free technical support on weekdays, but no weekend support.
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| Agfa DuoScan T1200 | ||||
Beyond the Top 10: SOHO Scanners
| Visioneer OneTouch 7600USB Reviewed July 30, 1999 PRO: Good-quality scans, easy to use, push-button controls. CON: Speed only satisfactory, so-so support policies, software could be better, no optional automatic document feeder or transparency adapter. |
This month we also tested the $150 Visioneer OneTouch 7600USB, which has several nice features but didn't score high enough to make our SOHO chart. Like other scanners from Visioneer, this unit has five prominent buttons on its front panel: scan, copy, fax, custom, and stop. Using the custom button, for example, you can set up the scanner to do a quick scan of a document, then automatically send it to an OCR program. But the OneTouch's lack of an automatic document feeder option makes it less useful as a heavy-duty OCR tool. And unlike many of the SOHO models that made our chart, the OneTouch is unable to scan transparencies.
In addition to its good overall ease of use, the OneTouch had good scan quality. But the scanner's scan speed and support policies were unimpressive. The software was a mixed bag: We liked the PaperPort document management package and the Visioneer OCR package. But the PictureWorks PhotoEnhancer image editor--while easy to use--lacks the polish of PhotoDeluxe or PhotoImpact.
The OneTouch 7600USB comes with a industry-standard one-year warranty. Technical support is available nine hours during weekdays, but not on the weekend, and you'll have to pay any toll charges. If you don't mind shelling out for it, you can use Visioneer's fee-based express support line. There's also the typical Internet-based help via Visioneer's Web site and e-mail service, plus a toll-free fax-back service.
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| Visioneer OneTouch 7600USB | ||||
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