Epson EXPRESSION 1680 PRO USB EPSON TWAIN PHOTOSHOP LE

WHAT'S HOT: The new Epson Expression 1680 features powerful 48-bit color depth along with a high 1600-by-3200-dpi maximum resolution. We tested the dual-interface (USB and SCSI) Epson Expression 1680 Professional model using its SCSI connection, and as a result, it excelled in our speed tests. Its maximum data throughput when scanning at its maximum resolution trailed only two IEEE 1394 scanners, Microtek's ScanMaker 8700 and ScanMaker 5700.

Overall, the 1680's scan quality was excellent: It produced striking printed and on-screen images with well-saturated colors and crisp details in both shadows and highlights. Like the Expression 1600 Professional it replaces, the 1680 Professional scans both reflective and transparency materials right off the shelf. Included in the box is an industrial-strength transparency adapter with an 8-by-10-inch scanning area, plus a well-designed set of film holders for various-size film formats.

WHAT'S NOT: At $1149 (plus $79 for a third-party SCSI card and cable, which Epson neither includes as standard equipment nor sells as an option), the 1680 Professional costs considerably more than its closest corporate competitor, the $1000 Microtek ScanMaker 8700, another high-end, dual-format scanner. Although you can get an IEEE 1394 version of the Expression 1680 (which includes an IEEE 1394 card and a cable), it costs an even pricier $1399 and requires Windows 2000 or Windows Millennium Edition, unlike other units that function with Windows 98 SE.

Due to the standard 8.5-by-11-inch scan bed, the Expression 1680 series cannot handle legal-size documents without the purchase of an automatic document feeder (which costs an extra $499). Live technical support is not toll-free.