Microtek ScanMaker X12USL Office Edition
WHAT'S HOT: Microtek's ScanMaker X12USL Office Edition
combines the winning features of the veteran ScanMaker X12USL (a former
Corporate chart Best Buy) with the added benefit of a bundled automatic
document feeder. It offers attractive 48-bit color, 1200-by-2400-dpi optical
resolution, a legal-size scan bed, and a versatile dual interface. Priced at
$430, the X12USL Office Edition costs less than many competing corporate
scanners with ADFs.
In both print and on-screen tests, the ScanMaker produced
admirable images, with saturated and accurate colors and fine shadow and
highlight detail.
WHAT'S NOT: A number of corporate scanners outperform the
ScanMaker X12USL Office Edition. For example, its 75-, 300-, and 600-dpi scans
took from 6 to 17 seconds longer to process than did those of the Epson
Perfection 1640SU Office. (Both scanners were tested using their USB
interfaces.) If you want to use the ScanMaker's SCSI interface, you must
purchase your own SCSI card and cable.
The X12USL Office Edition no longer represents state-of-the-art
capabilities for a corporate scanner. Its ADF, for example, handles up to 25
pages in a single batch, versus the HP Scanjet 7450c's 50 pages and the Epson
Perfection 1640SU Office's 30 pages. And although high resolution isn't
necessary for OCR scanning (which is typically performed at 300 dpi), the
ScanMaker's lower 1200-by-2400-dpi resolution makes it less desirable than the
newer models from HP and Epson for scanning detailed images.
WHAT ELSE: Two optional transparency adapters, for
scanning multiple slides or filmstrips, are available for this unit, both
priced at $79. The LightLid EL offers a scanning area of up to 5 by 6 inches,
and the Magnetic Media Transparency Adapter supports a maximum area of 7 by 10
inches.
The comprehensive software bundle includes Abbyy FineReader 4.0
Sprint OCR application, Adobe Photoshop 5.0 LE for image editing, and Trellix
Web Microtek Edition 2.5 for Web page design. Also included is Microtek
ScanWizard 5, an excellent scanner driver that incorporates two different
task-based control panels, one for novices and one for advanced
users.
UPSHOT: Although it doesn't break any new ground, the
ScanMaker X12USL Office Edition is a worthy choice for any general business
that needs a competitively priced OCR scanner.
| Buying Information | | Microtek ScanMaker X12USL Office Edition
$430
USB and SCSI, 1200 by 2400 dpi, 12.1 by
21.4 by 12.8 inches (width by depth by height), 18.1 pounds, 8.5-by-14-inch
scanning area; includes automatic document feeder, optional transparency
adapter. One-year warranty; toll-call technical support (10 hours on weekdays)
limited to 6 months; thereafter, fee-based, toll-call support (same hours) is
available for $30 per call.
310/297-5155
www.microtekusa.com
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