So there I was in Curry's looking for a good scanner, what I didn't what was a large thick scanner that would take up most of my desk space, and lo and behold I found the LiDE 20 a flat and I mean flat scanner that would just fit in with the amount I
wanted to spend only £60.
After ... Read review
Advantages: Can scan large items, fast. Disadvantages: n/a
So there I was in Curry's looking for a good scanner, what I didn't what was a large thick scanner that would take up most of my desk space, and lo and behold I found the LiDE 20 a flat and I mean flat scanner that would just fit in with the amount I
wanted to spend only £60.
After getting the LiDE 20 home, I unpacked it and book a quick look at the size of the manual, oh my god, the manual was virtually the same size ... ...is split up into seven different languages, so the first
fourteen page were the English text.
SETTING UP THE LiDE 20
----------------------
Nothing could be simpler, remove the protective tape from the scanner and unlock the scanning mechanism via a switch underneath, then simply plug in the USB cable supplied and turn on your PC.
When your PC detects the new hardware you select cancel and ... more
So there I was in Curry's looking for a good scanner, what I didn't what was a large thick scanner that would take up most of my desk space, and lo and behold I found the LiDE 20 a flat and I mean flat scanner that would just fit in with the amount I wanted to spend only £60.
After getting the LiDE 20 home, I unpacked it and book a quick look at the size of the manual, oh my god, the manual was virtually the same size as the scanner, but after a closer look the manual is split up into seven different languages, so the first fourteen page were the English text.
SETTING UP THE LiDE 20 ----------------------
Nothing could be simpler, remove the protective tape from the scanner and unlock the scanning mechanism via a switch underneath, then simply plug in the USB cable supplied and turn on your PC.
When your PC detects the new hardware you select cancel and insert the software disc and run it.
After starting the installation software, the software will install six programs onto your hard drive: CanoScan Toolbox, PhotoStudio, PhotoBase, OmniPage (scanning text to a word processor), Acrobat Reader and scanning guide.
After all this which takes a while your PC is then restarted and you are ready to scan.
IS IT EASY TO USE THE SCANNING SOFTWARE ---------------------------------------
Yes, place your item to be scanned in the scanner and then you can either scan via the software or via one of the three buttons on the scanner: Scan, Copy and E-Mail.
The software enables you to alter all your settings so that your scanned item is how you would like it, you can scan as low as 75 dpi, this is great for graphics ex cetera that you may be using for your web site, up to 1200 dpi.
Before your picture is scanned your can opt to how you would like it saved: BMP (Large File Size No Compression), JPEG (Small File Size with Compression) or TIFF. I recommend JPEG as these scans will not eat up your hard drive space, once scanned your picture is saved to disc in a scan folder, so they are all kept in one place.
NOTE: I found when I used the scanner for the first time that scans would have lines on them, but after some changing to the colour mode setting, changing source to Colour Photo this was sorted out.
WHAT QUALITY ARE THE SCANS? ---------------------------
Very good, the scans come out 99.99% identical to the original, so no complaints there, of course you can change things like brightness, contrast, colour ex cetera with the superb photo software that comes with the LiDE 20.
IS THE SOFTWARE OF ANY USE? ---------------------------
If you already have some fantastic photo software then it's up to your personal preference, I found the PhotoStudio really handy with loads of different effects that can be applied to your scans such as:
Fine Art, Emboss, Liquid and weather to name but a few, so for instance you can make your photo look like you are standing in a moonlit field with a low fog, brilliant.
The PhotoBase software is a catalogue system that will thumbnail all your scans (and the rest of your picture files) into to one binder, enabling you to view them all in one place, useful if you have a bucket load of files.
OVERALL - HOW DO I RATE THE LiDE 20 -----------------------------------
The LiDE 20 is a damn fine scanner and for as little as £60 you can't really complain the software is good, the scanner is extremely fast, small and compact.
Overall I'd really recommend the LiDE 20 as been a superb scanner at a superb price.
SPECIFICATIONS FOR THOSE WHO REALLY WANT TO KNOW -----------------------------------------------
Scanner Type: Flatbed
Scanning Element: CIS (Contact Image Sensor)
Light Source: 3-colour (RGB) LED
Optical Resolution: 600 x 1200 DPI
Selectable Resolution: 25-9600 (ScanGear CS)
Scanning Bit Depth Colour: 160 bit input / 8 bit output for each colour (RGB) Gray Scale: 16 bit input/8 bit output
Advantages: So slim & sexy... Oh, and it scans things! Disadvantages: really can't think of any
I bought this scanner for £55, that was money very well spent...
*****************************************************
Let me give you a quick list of what you will need to use this scanner:
•USB port, no need for an AC adaptor HURRAY!
•Color monitor with 800 x 600 or higher display and 256 or more colors
•CD-ROM drive (2x or faster)
•Windows® 98/ Me/ 2000 Professional: Pentium® 150MHz processor or higher/ 64MB RAM
Windows® XP: Pentium 300MHz ... ...X v10.1 or later: 128MB RAM
Now the trivial part is out of the way, I'll tell you a bit about the scanner itself...
The scanner sits just one inch off the ground, and marks a new era in the design of scanners, no more chunky machines weighing tonnes! There are 3 buttons on the front of the scanner:
scan (saves a scan to your documents). copy (copies, then prints). email (sends a copy to outlook). This means you don't even need to use the extensive ...
pleaseratemyreview 22.04.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Canon CanoScan LiDE 20
Advantages: Small, neat and very pretty Disadvantages: None as far as this simple soul is concerned
Introduction:
I had a very fine scanner made by HP but my new PC would not accept the PCMCIA card that came with it so a trip to the superstore was in order.
Time was at a premium as I had to print several dozen pamphlets and these had to include many scanned photographs. Not having the benefit of a pile of PC magazines and several days to read them I went purely on the box description and the price.
Also the LiDE 20 was an attractive looking ... ...the aforementioned PC Magazines.
I handed over my £64 and took it home.
So there I was in Curry's looking for a good scanner, what I didn't what was a large thick scanner that would take up most of my desk space, and lo and behold I found the LiDE 20 a flat and I mean flat scanner that would just fit in with the amount I wanted to spend only £60.
Installation:
I removed the LiDE 20 from the very sturdy box and read the manual. It is very well ...
rickardo 11.08.2004 (02.12.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Canon CanoScan LiDE 20
...My eyes fell upon the Canon Lide 20 and that's where they remained. This was my Christmas present to myself, and it's certainly been a present for life.
But enough of the schmaltz! Here's the nitty-gritty:
Price & availability:
At the time my scanner was £59.99, but due to a price ticket error, i got it for £49.99. (yay me!)
This scanner is available from most electrical outlets, online if not instore, and the current RRP seems to be £38.99. ... ...in the centre with the Canon symbol on.
Ease of use & some tech stuff:
I don't know about newer scanners, but the Lide 20 is simple to use.
It has 2 shortcut buttons on the front of the base: to scan, copy and email.
There is a lock on the back for when not in use, and a clip stand for mounting the scanner on it's side for scanning larger items.
The resolution is 600 x 1200 dpi with 48 bit colour. This scanner is powered by USB, which is very ...
katsthebest 08.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Canon CanoScan LiDE 20
Advantages: Very Quick, Very Easy, Very good Value Disadvantages: Cannot think of any.
When I first bought this scanner I was really getting it just for little jobs like copying writing etc, but I now use it for duplicating 35mm photos and other big jobs because it is so good.
Speed = 10/10
===========
The speed of this scanner is definitly one of its high points, it is extremly quick with documents and other black and white things, and is still quite nippy when you scan big memory things such as photos. Overall the speed is Excellent.
... ...show when you scan something are very good, they are all of high quality and all show up very well and crisp, thus leading to the scanner having great colour sensitivity. Overall, colours very good.
Resolution = 10/10
===============
The resolution is very good on this scanner, it can range from little resolutions such as 300 dpi (Dots Per Inch), up to great resolutios for photos etc, such as 1200 dpi. The resolution at any size is very good and ...
Chazzer3 27.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Canon CanoScan LiDE 20
Advantages: Slim, small, lightweight, portable Disadvantages: Little bit noisy
I bought my laptop a few months back and figured id buy a new scanner while I was there. I wanted something small, lightweight, portable and good looking – for a reasonable price. And I found it.
The CanoScan LiDE 20 is one of the lightest, most portable scanners I’ve seen - It weighs next to nothing, and I frequently carry it in my laptop bag when im moving around. The scanner itself features three ‘EZ’ buttons – which couldn’t make scanning any ... ...a nifty little stand, which allows for upright scanning – which is perfect, if like me you have limited desk space. Another great feature is it’s ‘Z-Lid’ making it possible to scan large items that wouldn’t normally fit under a regular scanners lid – such as large books. The fact that it is bus powered, means you don’t have extra cables dangling around, and it takes full advantage of the speed offered by USB 2.0.
Aside from technically being a great ...
nvaren 19.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Canon CanoScan LiDE 20
Product Information for "Canon CanoScan LiDE 20" »
Scanner
Input Type
Colour
Grayscale Depth
16-bit (64K grey levels)
Grayscale Depth (External)
8-bit (256 grey levels)
Colour Depth
48-bit colour
Colour Depth (External)
24-bit (16.7 million colours)
Optical Resolution
600 dpi x 1200 dpi
Interpolated Resolution
9600 dpi x 9600 dpi
Scan Mode
Single-pass
Scan Element Type
Contact Image Sensor
Bulb / Light Source Type
RGB LED array, LiDE (LED Indirect Exposure)
Control Panel Buttons Functions
Scan, copy, email
Scanner Speed Details
16 ms/line - colour - 600 dpi
5.3 ms/line - greyscale - 600 dpi
5.3 ms/line - black & white - 600 dpi
Manufacturer's product description
The CanoScan LiDE 20 USB flatbed scanner is one of the world's most compact flatbeds - still, it offers big performance and big savings. Just over an inch high, it packs in all the features you need to scan images, copy documents or e-mail your favorite photos. All with true "one-touch" operation. The LiDE 20 scanner is so intuitive and easy to use, first-time users can get expert results in remarkable color resolution up to 600 x 1200 dpi and up to 48-bit depth with over 281 trillion possible colors. To scan, just place the photo on the platen and push the "scan" button - that's it. "Copy" and "e-mail" functions are just as simple. Set up and operation is made even easier with just one cable for power and USB - no extra AC adapter needed. Scan multiple photos at once with the push of a button. "Multi-Scan mode" is automatically activated and scans all the pictures in a single pass, preparing a separate image file for each. It will even adjust any slightly misaligned photos. Scanning multi-pages into a PDF file is just as easy. Innovative software even allows you to save your images directly to CDs as easily as scan, click and burn. The LiDE 20 scanner is small but can tackle the big jobs. The exclusive Z-Lid expansion top lifts 1" high and stays flat for scanning books and magazines. Most other scanner covers lift only at an angle, often resulting in poor scans. Canon integrated QARE 2.0 (Quality Automatic Retouching and Enhancement) technology is designed to help perfect every scan by automatically removing much of the dirt and scratches from images, helping you to look like a pro.
