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Microtek SCANMAKER 4900
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More…| Scan quality (color/monochrome) | Good/Good |
| Performance | Good |
| Average 1200-dpi color scan speed | 39 seconds per document |
| Average 300-dpi BW scan speed | 42 seconds per document |
| Features | Very good |
| Max optical resolution | 2400 by 4800 |
| Scan area (inches) | 8.5 by 11.7 |
| Color depth | 48 bits internal; 48 bits external |
| Connection interface(s) | USB 1.1 port |
| Removable lid | Yes |
| Transparency adapter | Included; up to 7.35 by 1 inches |
| Automatic document feeder | None offered |
| Bundled software | Abbyy FineReader Sprint OCR, Adobe Photodeluxe 4.0, Ulead DVD Picture Show, Ulead PhotoExplorer, Microtek ScanWizard 5 |
| Overall ease of use | Good |
| Installation | Very good |
| Design | Very good |
| Documentation | Very good |
| Support quality score | Good |
| Support policies | One-year parts and labor warranty; 10-hour non-toll-free support weekdays |
Microtek ScanMaker 4900
SCANMAKER 4900 Review, by Richard Jantz June 23, 2002
WHAT'S HOT: With the arrival of the $150 Microtek ScanMaker 4900, you no longer have to pay top dollar for a 48-bit-color, 2400-dpi scanner that can churn out scans quickly with impressive-looking results. The ScanMaker 4900 also sports a sleek metallic design, provides easy USB 1.1 connectivity, and offers both reflective and transparent scan modes.
In our August 2002 speed tests, the 4900's overall performance ranked high among the five 2400-dpi units we tested with a USB 1.1 interface, and ranked second for performance among small-office scanners. For example, the 4900 took only 39 seconds to scan a 2-by-2-inch color photo at 1200 dpi, compared with 46 seconds for the next-closest USB 1.1 model, the Canon CanoScan D2400UF, to complete the same test. The only faster 2400-dpi scanner in our roundup was the $1000 Microtek ScanMaker 8700 Pro Design, tested on its FireWire interface.
As for image quality, the ScanMaker 4900 earned the best scores among small-office scanners in our print test of a 4-by-5-inch color photo, producing more-accurate colors and better details in shadows and highlights than other scanners we evaluated for our August 2002 roundup. Because of its high resolution, it also performed well in our on-screen black-and-white line-art test, reproducing finer details in small geometric lines and in tiny 4-point type.
WHAT'S NOT: Free technical support is available for only 90 days after purchase and only for basic installation issues. You pay any toll charges, and after the 90-day period--or for advanced troubleshooting--you'll have to pay to speak to a technician. No optional automatic document feeder is available for this model.
WHAT ELSE: The ScanMaker 4900 has seven quick-start buttons, labeled Scan, Copy, E-Mail, PDF/OCR (which can automatically create a file in Adobe's Portable Document Format), Setup/Cancel, Custom, and Scan to Web, which automatically scans and uploads your images to IMira.com, a photo-sharing Web site. This scanner also comes with a transparency adapter that can handle one 35mm slide or filmstrip at a time. Mounting slides and film in this 9.5-by-3-inch device requires more manual work than using a built-in transparency lid, but it is capable of producing good-looking results, partly because of an included adapter calibration utility.
Also in the software bundle are an image editor and image manager (Adobe PhotoDeluxe 4 and Ulead Photo Explorer 7 SE, respectively), optical character recognition (ABBYY FineReader 4 Sprint), and an image-archiving application (Ulead DVD PictureShow) that automatically copies image files and photo slide shows to CDs or DVDs. The excellent TWAIN driver (Microtek ScanWizard 5) provides separate modes for beginners and for advanced users, and a step-by-step online (PDF) tutorial helps you use both modes of operation.
UPSHOT: The dual-format Microtek ScanMaker 4900 offers a lot of bang for the buck, including speedy performance, high-quality scans, and push-button convenience--all at a relatively low price.
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Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: Harold437
Strengths: Very Good Scans, Easy to use, easy to set up.
Weaknesses: Operation of buttons not very clear, but when you learn how to use, works like a beauty.
Overall: I have purchased the Microtek model 6000 and does the same job except has a on/off button.Also runs a little quieter and faster with a USB 2.0 connection.
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Reviewed by: waltschwager
Strengths: Convenient and easy to use, easy set up, good quality scans
Weaknesses: 35mm film scanner is weak and almost useless but the documentation indicates that the 35mm film product is not that good.
Overall: I am quite happy with this scanner. I purchased it at Office Depot and thought that the price was excellent. The scanns I have made are great and the software that came with the unit are functional. If you are looking for a decent scanner at a decent price then you will like this scanner
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Reviewed by: Billium1173
Strengths: Could never get it to really work
Weaknesses: Does not work with Windows XP, user manual worthless
Overall: I am very experienced in all things PC but I finally gave up trying to install this scanner. The drivers locked up my PC (Windows XP) and the "diagnostics" never even attempted to move the light. I went to their web site and the instructions were flat out wrong. Also noticed that the overall quality of the connections and case were very flimsy. Do not purchase this scanner if you are running Windows XP.
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Reviewed by: poweruser26
Strengths: good scan image quality. Scans are generally quick, unless you go to a higher resolution. Color adjustment tools brought new life back to some childhood photos
Weaknesses: Buggy driver installation. When my computer boots up, it take another 3-5 minutes once XP has booted to find the scanner, taking up all my computer resources making the computer unstable
Overall: A good product, marred by a bad driver design. Updating driver from the Microtek website is nothing short of a long complicated mess. Tech support is terrible and short at that. The product has crashed my computer more than once and even affected my CD-RW drive, causing the buffer to jump up and down like a see saw. I have not tried the new driver cause I simply feel I shouldn't have to jump through flaming hoops to install an driver digitally signed for Windows XP. Microtek usually makes good products, so I hope that in the future, they will be sure to correct such anomalies
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Reviewed by: roadrunnervt
Strengths: price,user menu
Weaknesses: scan quality
Overall: Scanned pictures come out with white dots no matter what dpi is set at. Have tried with 5 different photo editing programs and it doesn't help.
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