Microtek Scanmaker 6800 4800X2400 DPI 48bit USB 2.0 Windows/mac

WHAT'S HOT: The Microtek ScanMaker 6800 provides most of the same worthwhile features as its predecessor, the ScanMaker 6700--including 48-bit color and 2400-dpi resolution, ample quick-start buttons, versatile software, and both FireWire and USB ports (the 6800 supports USB 2.0, upgraded from the 6700's USB 1.1). Like the 6700 (a former Best Buy), in addition to reflective materials the 6800 scans film (up to 4 by 5 inches) via its built-in transparency adapter, and it has a small but handy light box on top of the lid for previewing the film before scanning. But under the 6800's hood is a combination hardware-software feature that makes this scanner unique in its class: It's the first flatbed to employ Digital ICE (Image Correction and Enhancement), a photo restoration technology developed by Applied Science Fiction that automatically locates and corrects surface defects--such as dust, scratches, cracks, and tears--as it scans. Previously, Digital ICE was available only in costlier, dedicated slide scanners and was applied strictly to film scans. The 6800 is the first scanner to apply the technology to photo prints--but it cannot apply Digital ICE to transparencies.

When we tried out the Digital ICE function, the results were very impressive. It did a terrific job at repairing color prints with various gouges and creases, as well as lesser imperfections.

WHAT'S NOT: We used the 6800's FireWire interface (a FireWire card and cable come with the scanner) for our tests, but its performance was lackluster compared with that of other models we've tested recently. For instance, the 6800 took nearly three times as long (31 seconds) to scan a 4-by-5-inch color photo at 100 dpi as the Epson Perfection 3200 Photo, which was tested using USB 2.0, took (11 seconds). The 6800 was even slower at scanning a black-and-white document at 300 dpi, requiring 42 seconds to complete the test, compared with 15 seconds for the Epson 3200.

The guide for placing transparencies on the 6800's glass isn't as well designed as those we've seen on other scanners. Unlike the rigid plastic film holders provided with many models, the 6800 comes with a thin black template. Other than using tape to secure the film in place, there's no sure way to keep transparencies from sliding around on the smooth glass, which can sometimes happen when you lower the lid.

WHAT ELSE: In our standard print and on-screen tests, the 6800 generally reproduced color images accurately (including good skin tones), but some didn't look quite as bright or sharp as the originals. The 6800's monochrome scans, though fine-looking overall, were a tad flatter (lacking some tonal details in dark areas, for example) than we've seen from some other models. But the weaknesses we observed in scans made at default settings are easily adjusted in the robust ScanWizard 5 driver.

One trade-off in using the 6800's Digital ICE photo restoration is that the device takes about twice as long to complete a scan with the technology as without it. That's because Digital ICE requires the scanner to make two passes (rather than one) to map, identify, and eliminate imperfections. The longer scan time, however, is still probably less than most users would have to take to clean up a photo manually in an image editing application. We made our test scans with the processing turned off.

The 6800 has five quick-start buttons preset to scan, copy, e-mail, run optical character recognition, and scan to Web. The last button transfers your scanned images to a personal photo-sharing Web site hosted by IMira.com. The software bundle includes Adobe Photoshop Elements (version 1 on our test unit, though Microtek says packages will include version 2 by the time you read this) for image editing, Ulead Photo Explorer 6 for image management, and Abbyy FineReader 4 Sprint for OCR. Microtek's versatile ScanWizard software provides separate modes for beginners and advanced users. A printed step-by-step tutorial thoroughly and clearly explains various scanning tasks, such as how to adjust color, batch-scan multiple images, and perform other advanced functions.

If you want to capture as much raw color information as possible, you can scan and save 48-bit color images. Another useful option is the ability to save scanned documents in Adobe's Acrobat Portable Document Format, which many businesses prefer to use for posting documents online. If you need to perform a lot of OCR work, an optional automatic document feeder (priced at $199) is available for the 6800.

UPSHOT: The Microtek ScanMaker 6800 reliably produces very good images from prints and film, and its powerful photo-repair feature is an added bonus, but its poky performance may be a deal-breaker for users who scan large volumes.