VincenzoSI's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Scanjet 3300c Flatbed Scanner
I can be considered to be an HP groupie. I have two HP printers, an HP scanner, and HP CDR drive, and I'm currently lusting after an HP Jornada 548, so it's no secret that the first scanner I've owned that's worth owning in a long time is an HP also.
The 3300, while not a professional scanner, is more than enough for the typical photo scanning, website designing, quick touch-up type applications that the average user will do.
An optical resolution of 600dpi means pictures come out very clearly and colors are uniform with very little pixelation. It does take a while to render a picture in the higher resolutions, but in reality, the pictures are worth it.
The software is completely brainless. It automatically sets itself up and does a reasonably good job setting resolution, color depth etc. If you're a propeller-head like I am, there's still enough control over the settings to keep you satisfied. Other than resolution (it defaults to 150 dpi), you probably will find most scans acceptable with no tweaking necessary.
It's not quiet enough for my tastes, though, and you may want to look elsewhere if the noise factor is a problem. I've had a couple of scanners and this one is probalby middle of the road with regards to noise.
Another problem is that while the scanner is a USB scanner, the scan speeds leave much to be desired. At the $150 price point, this scanner is fast enough, but don't expect anything to scan in a hurry.
The front panel buttons, while awkwardly placed are very useful, invoking either the Precision Scan application (which can save directly to a file, rather than having to load a separate image-editing program and then using the the Acquire function), or a Copy program that outputs directly to your default printer. While the Copy function is nice, it's way too slow to be practical, so if you're looking for the convenience of a Multi-function Center, look elsewhere.
Unlike my last scanner, I am very satisfied with this one, and while it has its shortcomings, $150 is a good middle of the road price for a good middle of the road scanner.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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