Advantages: Affordable, solid, good quality and you can rest cups of tea on top! Disadvantages: Sometimes slow to scan and other scanners do have better quality
We have had out Microtek Scanmaker 3600 for well over 5 years now and it is still going strong and doing the job for our entire family. I'm not sure how much we paid for it, but it was not a lot because we just wanted a basic scanner that could scan in documents. It is very reliable, easy to use, with a suitable range of features but has the tendency to be a bit slow occasionally.
1. Looks, Design and Size
The scanner is fairly good looking, quite elegant and fairly compact. It measures approximately 17" long, 10" across and 4" high so can fit into most desktop areas. It has a solid build to it and rather funky curve on the lid that gives it some added style. Furthermore, the main surface is flat and you can easily rest your cup of tea, lunch or bits of paper on top! The white colour is easy on the eye and fits in to most rooms ...
Advantages: Durable, Programmable, Easy to Set Disadvantages: Too Slow for Offices, Quality Pictures Require Changing Settings
The Microtec ScanMaker 4850 flatbed scanner might seem obsolete due to its quality, being half of what more modern scanners can offer, and the fact it is not a part of a multi-functional copier, but you should not be assumptuous about this device.
Instead of reviewing the mechanics and energy consumption of the scanner, this summary will provide you practical information about the technology in question.
The scanner came with an USB wire and power cord, instruction manual (it was unnecessary, as all you have to do is plug it in and install the software), installation CDs (multi-lingual, one for Max, one for Windows) with plenty of software including Microtek's scanner applications and an OCR application, which is gold, as it turns your scanned material available for editing in Word.
Value for Money
I've gotten this ...
Advantages: Spec for price Disadvantages: Its apparent design fault
Please note: I'm a Mac user so the software issues here are Mac-specific and I'm unable to comment on how the 5900 runs with a PC; however, the hardware issue is machine-non-specific!
I bought my first Scanmaker 5900 from GHQ Computers, a reputable store in Britain which specialises in Apple software and hardware. I'd tried several computer superstores locally to no avail. It cost £125 + VAT from GHQ (online) in May 2004.
My choice was governed by budget and special requirements, i.e. I needed 4"x5" transparency scanning. Many scanners provide 35mm film adaptation, but most of those that offer large format fall into the very expensive, 'arts professional' bracket. Up until that point, I'd had a Scanmaker X6 with Light Lid and been reasonably happy with it, though its output quality had certainly declined over the 4 year period. My ...
Product Information for "Microtek ScanMaker 8700 Pro Design" »
Scanner
Input Type
Colour
Grayscale Depth
14-bit grey
Colour Depth
42-bit colour
Optical Resolution
2400 dpi x 1200 dpi
Interpolated Resolution
9600 dpi x 9600 dpi
Scan Mode
Single-pass
Scan Element Type
CCD
Bulb / Light Source Type
Xe-gas cold cathode fluorescent lamp
Scan Density Range
3.4D
Compliant Standards
TWAIN
Manufacturer's product description
The perfect choice for the professional designer who demands the highest level of scanned image quality and image enhancing software, the ScanMaker 8700 Pro Design provides patented dual-media scanning with superior image quality and the blazing speed that only true FireWire can deliver.The ScanMaker 8700 Pro Design kit contains ScanMaker 8700 scanner, FireWire Card, FireWire Cable, USB Cable, FireWire Card "Quick Install" Guide, 8" x 10" Glass Film Holder Assembly, ScanMaker 8700 "Quick Install Guide", Set of Vinyl Strips for Glass Holder, Main Staging Tray for SnapTrans Templates, SnapTrans Templates kit - 35mm (Mounted) slide SnapTrans Template, 35mm filmstrip SnapTrans Template, 6cm x 9cm film SnapTrans Template, 4"x 5" film SnapTrans Template, Kodak Q-60 R1 Reflective Target, Kodak Q-60 E1 Transparency Target, and the excellent software bundle: Pearl Microtek Software, Adobe Photoshop LE, LaserSoft Silverfast Ai 5, Genuine Fractals Print Pro.
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