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Umax Astra 6450

The first IEEE 1394 scanner we've tested delivers speedy performance and solid added features.

  

WHAT'S HOT:

The first IEEE 1394/FireWire scanner we've tested, the Umax Astra 6450 delivers speedy performance and a solid list of added features. On our maximum-resolution test, the 6450 scanned our color test photo at 50 seconds--46 seconds faster than the average of 13 other 600-dpi scanners we've tested. However, in our three other tests (75-dpi color, 300-dpi line art, and 600-dpi gray-scale), the 6450 ran a consistent second to the top-ranked Epson Perfection 1200S, a SCSI unit. The 6450 offers three handy quick-start buttons (for scan, copy, and custom), a built-in transparency cover with a 4-by-5-inch maximum scan area, and a three-port IEEE 1394/FireWire kit (card and cable).

WHAT'S NOT: Though the Astra 6450's optical resolution of 600 by 1200 dpi is enough to enlarge 35mm slides and film negatives to 5-by-7-inch prints, this unit lacks the higher optical resolution required to produce acceptable 8-by-10-inch prints. Furthermore, as with SCSI-based units, you must open your computer and install an interface card before you can use this scanner. On the 6450's default settings, this model's scan quality was a mixed bag: Color and line-art tests produced reasonably accurate but slightly dark results overall, and some details (in shadows and highlights, for instance) were not as sharp as they were with the best units. No optional automatic document feeder is available.

WHAT ELSE: The 6450 comes with a substantial software bundle that includes Adobe Photoshop LE 5.0, an optical character recognition application (Caere OmniPage LE 5.1), a document manager (NewSoft Presto PageManager 4.2), and a proficient TWAIN driver with both beginner and advanced options. Umax includes, free of charge, an electronic book (Scanner Solutions, $30 in softcover) chock-full of scanning tips and tricks. If you need to scan only reflective documents, you can purchase the Astra 6400, which comes without a transparency cover, for $50 less.

BEST USE: The Astra 6450 is a good match for those who want a dual-purpose scanner with a fast connection that can make their work flow faster.


SUMMARY
Umax Astra 6450


IEEE 1394/FireWire, 600 by 1200 dpi, 12.2 by 18.4 by 3.9 inches (width by depth by height), 8.5 pounds, 8.5-by-11.7-inch scanning area, included transparency adapter, no optional automatic document feeder. One-year warranty; free, unlimited support for 14 hours on weekdays and 9 hours on weekends.

$299
800/562-0311
www.umax.com

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