UMAX 2200
Just to the point :

Having both SCSI and USB is valuable. If you are running NT 4.0 now but intend to move to Windows 2000 later in the year, you can use the SCSI interface now and switch to USB later. Or you can use SCSI on your current Mac and know that you can still use the scanner when you move to a G4. Or even run it on your Windows 98 machine with USB and give it to a college student with SCSI next fall when you buy yourself a new scanner. All scanners should have this choice, except those that also have FireWire.

The scanning utility/driver, VistaScan does exactly what it's supposed to, and the addition of batch scanning for productivity is great. If you haven't used batch scanning in the past you don't know what you're missing.

The resolution is quite impressive. I think there is some interpolation going on in hardware here, but it works. The clarity of the chipmunk's whiskers is right up there with much more expensive scanners, beyond that isn't useful or important in a SOHO environment.

The color is pleasing if not as dramatic as it might be. I actually found myself preferring a couple of the Astra 2200 scans, even if they were a little less true to the original images.

The software bundle is extensive. Particularly if you don't have Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks, or NetObjects Fusion and you can use one or more of those: Look at this as a significant price saving.

The button scanning is oversold, not only by Umax but by several competitors and doubtless by some of the dead-trees magazines. Until a computer is able to read my mind (a feature I'm not sure I would want) I need to make specific choices of resolution, scale, and cropping when I scan.

Finally, significant debugging of the installers is in order.

Overall? I think it's a great package for the price and will recommend this product to friends that need a product in this range.



Recommended: Yes