solohans1's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Scanjet 3300c Flatbed Scanner
HP has a winner with this scanner. I purchase it two years ago and since then HP has developed two other lines of scanners, but I have no need to upgrade because this does the trick.
It has a couple of quick button to scan or copy with the extra step of having to find the program on my computer. It's very compatible with most printers so the copy function works well.
The bundled software that comes with it is a little sparse, but adaquate. Mine model came with Dr. Franklin software to enhance and edit my photos. It also has Adobe PhotoDeluxe with and a Adobe Acrobat Reader, if you need it. There is OCR(optical character recognition) function with the scanner too, but I found it spotty when scanner to documents. I've yet to find a scanner or OCR software that works well enough to use. Does it really work?
The drivers are of the Twain and Ole variety. I don't know why two types of drivers are required. Maybe it's to be compatible with more computers.
The resolution of this scanner is six hundred dpi. This is fine with me because I don't use it for intensive photo-edition, but only to send in email or web-design/ posting. For scanning text, simple graphics is does a fine job also.
HP's newer scanner have built in memory and processors, but I don't know if the HP cse 3300 does. The processor usually takes some of the burdon of the CPU's processor. The same principal is applied to memory. Think about this when you buy a scanner. The electronics that control the scan inside the scanner HP calls "Intelligent Scanning Technology." This is the heart of your scanner.
It's diffi cult to find this information out. But if you ask most manufacturers they will supply you with it. This can be the difference between a slow as snail scan or a "blazing" fast one. There are different way manufacturer's test the speed of their scanner and each has their own standard, so find what the standard is before you go with it.
Speed tests are based on four by six scans, letter size scans and b/w scanning at a particular resolution. The computer can affect scans also, so it's specs have to be consistent too. HP's website can provide you with this information.
Cosmetically, I like the look of this scanner. I needed a trim scannerr that wouldn't take up much room and this one fit the bill. It isn't bulky at all. As mentioned above, it has copy and scan button on the front. The scanner bed accepts media up to letter size and is capable of scanning textures and most three dimensional objects. The lid raises to accept these items.
The light source is cold-cathode tube rather than L.E.D.
The actual scanning software designed for HP is easy to use and organized well. Through it you can set resolutions, start scans, copy to printer, convert to black and white. and trim. I've yet to play around with all the settings. I mostly use default and rarely had to change this setting.
I love Adobe Photodeluxe. It's like a watered-down version of PhotoShop. Now, i've played for hours on this program. It's amazing the effects you add to you pictures. I was able to show my brother going over Niagara Falls with one of the effects. You can stitch your pictures together to make panoramic views, add frames, much, much more. There's a feature called Extisis which will repair scratches and noise from the inevitable old photo. PhotoDeluxe also provides the basics of any good photo-editing program. Another good program is called Adobe Elements(not included.) Photodeluxe will also store, save and organize your photos as well as convert them to different formats. A lot of power for a free program.
The scans came out nice. They were bright and showed a lot of detail. It took about two minutes to scan a letter size document and less than a minute to scan a four by six.
This scanner operates on Windows only. Since it connects by USB, don't expect it to work with Windows 95 or NT. The minimum requires are easy to meet with most computers now days.
A few thought on scanners:
When you buy a scanner don't be thrown off by the numbers game. Manufacturer's like to play this game to compete with one another and to make consumers thing they are getting more for the money. More important for you is the way it's constructed (i.e., size) compatibility, lamp life, footprint, ease of use, software bundled, connectivity(USB, FireWire, SCSI, USB2 or Parallel Port), and of course name brand.
The numbers game revolves around speed of scan, resolution and color bit. A good scanner for the beginner will have 36 bits or more and at least six hundred dpi resolution. Speed can vary depending on the interface with Fire Wire being the fastest with SCSI a close second. You will pay for speed though.If you don't mind waiting for your scans you can save in this area.
Be wary of the salesperson who shows you just the numbers. Make sure he knows the other features of the scanner. It will help you make the choice that's right for you.
Good luck shopping for one. And have fun once you purchase it because a scanner capable of enhancing your computer and digital imaging to greater creative heights.
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.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.