The Epson Perfection 1240U Scanner Has Really Done The Job!
Written: Apr 13 '01 (Updated Dec 30 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Scan Quality, Speed, Twain Software, Modest Price.
Cons: Zip, Nada, Bupkis
The Bottom Line: Excellent quality in a scanner under $200.
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| Saxguy's Full Review: Epson Perfection 1240U Flatbed Scanner |
When my previous scanner, a Visioneer Paperport 7600USB, died, I was looking for a fast, high quality, moderately priced scanner that was easy to use. I have a small online business that deals in collectible playing cards and I sell on Ebay as well, so it is necessary to get good quality scans. I wanted a unit that was faster than the 7600, and a USB interface.
I looked at the various rating services like PC World.com and ZDNet, both of which strongly recommended the Epson Perfection 1240U as having the features I wanted at a street price under $200. I also looked at Epinions, which did not have this category open, but did have several mostly good ratings on this unit’s predecessor, the Epson Perfection 1200.
I bought the base model using a vendor recommended by CNET in their price comparison screens. Cost to me was less than $180. Installation was fast and easy.
There are two other models available
Epson Perfection 1240U Photo Same unit, but it comes with a transparancy adapter and Adobe Photoshop 5.0 software
Epson Perfection 1240U Photo Limited Edition this is the photo unit with a more attractive case design.
Neither of these models was worth the extra money for my needs.
This model comes with the following bundled software:
Epson SmartPanel (runs upon start-up)
Epson Twain Scanning Software
Adobe Photodeluxe Home Edition 4.0 (Image Editor)
ArcSoft PhotoPrinter (Frames and Prints Photos)
ArcSoft Panorama Maker (Adjusts photos to panorama view)
Scansoft Textbridge Pro OCR (text reader)
This scanner has done a wonderful job. I am extremely pleased with it. Among the noticeable features are:
Vivid Color Others can explain the technical difference between 42-bit color depth and 1200 by 2400 dpi resolution, vs what I had in my last scanner, 36-bit color depth and 600 by 1200 dpi. What I do know is that the colors are more vivid and the scans have better resolution. It’s a tremendous improvement.
Speed Warm-up is now 10 seconds as opposed to 45 seconds before and the scanning is noticeably faster.
Ease Of Use Of Twain Software While I thought that my previous software was good, this will scan it right into my application of choice or I can select other options, including OCR, Email, Fax or to the printer for a copy.
I haven’t used the Adobe or ArcSoft software much, since the programs I used before (Kodak’s Image Editor, MS Paint and MS Paintbrush) meet my needs. I also haven’t tried the OCR software, but I might at some point.
I have a Windows 2000 Professional Edition environment. Some of the reviews questioned whether a patch might be necessary for compatibility. However, this unit installed with no problem and has continued to function with no problem.
I highly recommend this unit.
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 180
Interface: USB
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