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Top Flatbed Scanners

This month's chart focuses on flatbed scanners, both for home offices and for corporate users.

Eric Butterfield

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Epson Perfection 2480 Photo PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0

Last Rated: July 26, 2004

1. Epson Perfection 2480 Photo

2400 by 4800 dpi, 8.5 by 11.7 scan area, USB 2.0 port, ArcSoft PhotoImpression and Abbyy FineReader Sprint OCR software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $99,

Bottom Line: This model turns out fast, good-looking scans and includes features for cleaning up defects such as dust or scratches.

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Microtek ScanMaker i320 PCW Rating: 3.0PCW Rating: 3.0PCW Rating: 3.0

Last Rated: April 07, 2004

2. Microtek ScanMaker i320

3200 by 6400 dpi, 8.5 by 11.7 scan area, USB 2.0 port, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Abbyy FineReader Sprint OCR software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $150,

Bottom Line: Produces nice color and has Digital ICE technology for fixing surface defects, but its transparency adapter holds only one 35mm slide at a time.

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Visioneer OneTouch 7300 USB PCW Rating: 3.0PCW Rating: 3.0PCW Rating: 3.0

Last Rated: March 30, 2004

3. Visioneer OneTouch 7300 USB

1200 by 1200 dpi, 8.5 by 11.7 scan area, USB 2.0 port, ArcSoft PhotoImpression and ScanSoft Texbridge OCR engine software, No transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $80,

Bottom Line: A lightweight, portable model powered via a USB cable, this unit is sluggish at color scans, but its image quality is worth the wait.

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Microtek ScanMaker 6800 PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0

Last Rated: March 27, 2003

4. Microtek ScanMaker 6800

2400 by 4800 dpi, 8.5 by 11.7 scan area, USB 2.0, FireWire ports, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Abbyy FineReader Sprint OCR software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $300,

Bottom Line: Price drop puts this model within reach of a small office; includes Digital ICE technology for repairing surface defects, and a light box in the lid for previewing film.

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HP Scanjet 5590 PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5

Last Rated: July 26, 2004

5. HP Scanjet 5590

2400 by 2400 dpi, 8.5 by 11 scan area, USB 2.0 port, HP Photo and Imaging, and IRIS ReadIRIS Pro software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $399,

Bottom Line: Best suited for heavy office use, the 5590 has a 50-page automatic document feeder that enables two-sided scanning. This is the fastest model here at scanning monochrome documents.

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HP Scanjet 8200 PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0

Last Rated: August 27, 2003

6. HP Scanjet 8200

4800 by 4800 dpi, 8.5 by 14 scan area, USB 2.0 port, Adobe Photoshop Elements, HP Photo and Imaging, and IRIS ReadIRIS Pro software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $500,

Bottom Line: Speediest scanner of monochrome images on the chart has six buttons, and more software than HP's consumer units do.

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Epson Perfection 4870 Photo PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5PCW Rating: 3.5

Last Rated: March 30, 2004

7. Epson Perfection 4870 Photo

4800 by 9600 dpi, 8.5 by 11.7 scan area, USB 2.0, Firewire ports, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Abbyy FineReader Sprint OCR software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $449,

Bottom Line: High-resolution scanner gets good marks for its color accuracy and ability to capture fine details; includes Digital ICE technology.

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Microtek ScanMaker i900 PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0PCW Rating: 4.0

Last Rated: July 26, 2004

8. Microtek ScanMaker i900

3200 by 6400 dpi, 8.5 by 14 scan area, USB 2.0 port, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Abbyy FineReader Sprint OCR software, Transparency adapter, Street price when ranked: $600,

Bottom Line: High image quality scores and extensive software controls, though slower than most other models. An internal drawer enables high-volume transparency scanning (12 slides at a time) without using the glass flatbed; includes Digital ICE technology for print scans.

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