Mustek BearPaw 2400

WHAT'S HOT: The latest edition to the Mustek BearPaw series is the BearPaw 2400, which features robust 48-bit color processing and a higher resolution of 1200 by 2400 dpi. Like other BearPaw models, the 2400 has a front panel that features five easy push buttons for quick access to scanning, copying, faxing, e-mailing, and programmable custom tasks, such as optical character recognition. A helpful demo tour and thorough on-screen and print documentation add to the 2400's overall ease of use.

WHAT'S NOT: The Mustek BearPaw 2400 is slower than all of the 1200-by-2400-dpi scanners on the SOHO chart. In our maximum-resolution test, the 2400's 287-kilobytes-per-second throughput for a 1200-dpi scan of a 5-by-7-inch color photo couldn't keep up with the slowest model on the chart--the Acer 1240UT, which yielded 330-KBps throughput on the same test. The 2400's on-screen and print quality were also unimpressive, with color images that looked dull and flat. Red and orange tones, for instance, appeared more brownish than they did in the originals, while black-and-white photos lacked contrast and detail in both shadows and highlights.

WHAT ELSE: The software bundle includes a robust optical character recognition tool (ABBYY FineReader 4.0 Sprint), an image editor (Ulead Photo Express 3.0 SE), and a Web page design tool (Trellix Web 2.5 Mustek Edition), but no document manager. The 2400's driver has a batch-scanning function that allows you to specify up to ten scan regions, each of which can use different settings; it's handy for scanning several photos or multiformat (text and graphics) documents. Mustek offers an add-on transparency adapter with a 4-by-5-inch working area for $100, but doesn't make an automatic document feeder for this model.

BEST USE: The Mustek BearPaw 2400 may appeal to users who value convenient and easy push-button scanning. But for the same price, the Acer 1240UT is faster and delivers better-quality scans.

SUMMARY

Mustek BearPaw 2400 USB, 1200 by 2400 dpi, 11.4 by 18.3 by 3.9 inches (width by depth by height), 6.2 pounds, 8.5-by-11.7-inch scanning area; optional transparency adapter, no automatic document feeder. One-year warranty; toll-call support for 8.75 hours on weekdays. $150 949/790-3800 www.mustek.com