Microtek SlimScan C6 USB scanner
By Mike Vande Ven Jr.
http://homepage.mac.com/giantmike/
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Manufacturer: Microtek
Price: $89.99
System Requirements:
PowerMac G3, G4 or iMac
MacOS 8.5.1
Built in USB or USB PCI card
Specifications:
36-bit, single-pass flatbed
Image sensor: 500-element Linear CCD array
Optical resolution: 300 x 600 dpi
Interpolated resolution: 9600 x 9600 dpi
Maximum scan size: 8.5" x 11.7" / 215.9mm x 297mm
Interface: Universal Serial Port (USB)
Size: 17.3"(L) x 11.5"(W) x 3.2"(H) / 439mm x 292mm x 81mm
Weight: 11 lbs. (5 kgs.)
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The SlimScan C6 scanner is perfect for someone with a limited budget, and even more limited desk space. But don't let the price or size fool you, this scanner packs a lot of punch.
Setup:
Setting up this scanner was very easy. The instructions that Microtek provides are skimpy, but they get the job done. All you need to do is plug in your scanner, connect it to your computer, install the software, and start scanning. My biggest problem with the set up was with the USB cable length. It only ships with a 3 foot cable, and since my desk is so small, I needed an extension cable (which worked wonderfully).
Usage:
This scanner works like a charm. Once you get used to the software, which isn't too hard, you will be scanning great pictures, at very fast speeds. The included scanning software, has a ton of preset stuff, so you can scan some items very quickly, plus it has a fully customizable mode, for getting your scans to look their very best.
The main software, ScanSuite has a ton of options. You can select from a list of preset medias, and places to send the scans. It also has built in copier, fax, and Optical Character Resolution modes. The copier mode will take a quick black and white scan, and send it directly to your printer. The fax mode will take a low resolution black and white scan, and automatically send it through your modem to a pre-specified fax number. The Optical Character Resolution mode is what is used to scan a bunch of text, and turn it into a text document.
Not only does this scanner come with ScanSuite, but it also comes with two major software packages, Adobe PhotoDeluxe and OmniPage Limited Edition. PhotoDeluxe is used to touch up your pictures. It includes hundreds of transitions to make your pictures look better, or sillier.
OmniPage Limited Edition is the slimmed down version of OmniPage Pro, the OCR software. It will take a text scan, and covert all the letters into an actual text document. It's does it's job exceptionably, but only if used from the ScanSuite software.
Most scans seemed to come out great. Especially the photos, which came out like they went in. With things such as newspapers and magazines, some of the scans did not come out as well, on the first couple of tries. But after fooling around with the settings for a while, you can produce quality scans from nearly every type of media. Albeit, some items did not come out very well, but I feel that these items (because of the way they are printed), do not come out very well on anything less than a high-end professional scanner.
Microtek built this scanner to be quite sturdy, even with its small size. The glass, bulb, bulb motors, belts, etc are all built to last. The only thing that feels somewhat flimsy is the cover hinges. The cover itself it very sturdy, but the hinges feel like they could easily break. Also, whenever the scanner is turned on (all the time unless you pull the plug, there is no power switch), the lamp is on. But this is not a problem with this lamp. Microtek decided to go with Cold cathode lamps which last many hundreds of thousands of hours.
Problems:
The problems with this scanner are few and far between. The first problem I encountered was the scanner wasn't being recognized by my computer. It turns out that this scanner just doesn't like the older USB drivers. To make it work, I needed to upgrade to the 1.3.5 version of the USB drivers.
Every now and then, the scanning software just doesn't seem to recognize that the scanner is hooked up. The solution to this little problem is to quit, and relaunch the scanning software.
One final problem is with the "Go" button. The "Go" button is the button on the front of the scanner that is supposed to launch the scanning software, and start a scan when pressed. Unfortunately, it has never worked for me.
Conclusion:
The SlimScan C6 scanner may be cheap, but it produces wonderful scans. In fact, it's much faster than many of the SCSI scanners I have used. With it's small footprint and height, you can store it almost anywhere when not in use. And with the USB interface, you can plug it into your computer anytime you wish, without a restart.
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Pros: | Cons: |
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Very affordable
Small footprint
Wonderful scans
Faster than most SCSI scanners
Easy to use software
Cross platform compatible
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The software has amnesia sometimes
Flimsy cover hinges
Short USB cable
"Go" Button doesn't work
No power switch
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Rating: 7 out of ten Mac Faces.
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