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Buying Guide: The Scoop on Scanners
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Once thought to be on the verge of extinction due to the incursion of all-in-ones (AIOS), otherwise known as multifunction printers (MFPs), single-function scanners are going strong. They've survived by focusing on specific user needs. Many photo scanners, such as the Epson Perfection V600 Photo and HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner, provide high-quality scans of photographic film and slides as well as prints, while the modestly priced Canon CanoScan LiDE 100 should do well in scanning that shoebox full of family photos.
Offices can benefit from a document scanner such as the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 that can scan business cards as well as other documents. The Epson WorkForce GT-1500 has a 40-page automatic document feeder (ADF), as well as a letter-sized flatbed that will let you scan book or magazine pages. Almost all business scanners include optical character recognition (OCR) software, that will read paper documents and convert them into digital files. One unique scanner is the Plustek BookReader V100, which converts pages into audio files, a boon for libraries, particularly those that serve the visually impaired.
Featured in this Roundup:
Canon CanoScan LiDE 100
($59.99 direct)
The Canon CanoScan LiDE 100 is one of the few remaining scanners aimed at home users who are primarily interested in scanning photographic prints.
Epson Perfection V600 Photo
($249.99 direct)
The Epson Perfection V600 Photo offers high-quality scans for prints and both 35mm and medium-format film, plus an exceptionally easy-to-use scan utility.
Epson WorkForce GT-1500
($349.99 direct)
The Epson WorkForce GT-1500 is a bit slow, but it's affordable enough to make it an attractive choice if your small office needs a document scanner that includes a flatbed.
Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500
($495 direct)
The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 is the most impressive ScanSnap model yet, but it doesn't provide a standard scan driver, which would give it more flexibility.
HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner
($200 street)
The HP Scanjet G4050 offers six-color scanning for excellent scan color and does a good job on both prints and film, including mounted slides.
Plustek BookReader V100
($700 street)
The Plustek BookReader V100 offers a complete solution for libraries or similar institutions that want to convert printed material to spoken form for their visually impaired patrons.