Slim, Lightweight, and Beautiful
Written: Dec 05 '00 (Updated Dec 06 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great scanned image quality, easy to use and to setup, cheap price, awesome product!
Cons: You need to flip the item away from you in order for it to scan right-side up.
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| _fate_'s Full Review: Canon CanoScan FB630U Flatbed Scanner |
Review: CanoScan 630U
No, I am not describing a woman, if that's what all you guys are thinking about. I am talking about the CanoScan 630 flatbed scanner. This scanner is incredibly lightweight, and literally keeps a low profile. The images scanned by this scanner are crisp and clear. The colors are vibrant and retain the correct tone and shade as the real thing. I purchased a scanner because one of the few things that I'm actually good at is drawing. I wanted to be able to scan my art and post them onto the Internet on my private websites and such. I also thought that a decent scanner would aid me in my computer game production (see my home page). Using this scanner isn't the whole story, however. This was actually my replacement scanner which I purchased to replace the first one I bought after it was returned. I first bought the 630P (parallel port). Unbeknownst to me, the scanner literally took tens of minutes just to scan a normal picture that shouldn't have taken more than half a minute. There was nothing wrong with the images, and there was nothing wrong with the software or drivers, but the scanning simply took too long! I decided that the root of this problem was, in fact, the parallel port connection which the scanner used. I decided that it would be wiser to invest some additional money so that I could scan photos more rapidly. I looked around at several other scanners and their features around the purchase price that I was looking for, and I decided on the same brand and model number. The only difference was that this time, I decided to go for the 630U (USB). USB cables are famous for their ability to transfer information rapidly, as well as other things such as easy detection from the computer, and ease of setup.
My Experience:
My personal experience with this scanner was definitely positive. The scanner would scan a drawing in about 15 seconds or less, and at the touch of a button. Whenever scanning for the first time (after a reboot), the scanner will take a little bit to calibrate itself, but this takes under a minute to accomplish. The calibration is automatic, so it saves the user some hassle. The scanner offers several options with it, including faxing, direct printing, copying, and saving to permanent disk. I only use the copying function and the saving function, normally.
Problems:
Actually, there really weren't any problems that arose from my use of this scanner. There was only one thing that I thought funny about the scanner. When you scan an image or object, you must place it in upside down. At first, I thought that I had my scanner upside down, but in fact the lettering stenciled on the scanner faces towards you, as read normally, but the bottom of the scanned item must face away from you. I thought it silly of cannon not to turn around the mechanism within the case so that it would be more convenient for the user. Other than that, there were no real problems.
User Friendliness:
This scanner was actually very user friendly. I plugged in the USB connection, to have it auto-install immediately. All the necessary software was installed, and the manual was very user friendly and exceptionally clear on its directions. The software is easy to use, and is almost a no-brainer. Everything is laid out before you, and all the user needs to do is to click his/her choice.
Conclusion:
I found myself very attached to this scanner as it has successfully scanned many pictures for me. I noticed that I needed to draw darker for the scanner to pick up pencil lines better, but this was no real problem. If you are looking for a good scanner with a relatively cheap price, then you have come to the right article. I believe I picked mine up for about $50. I wish you the best of luck with this scanner and all future purchases.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
_fate_
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Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 53 members
About Me:
A student studying Computer Science, and obsessed with computers.
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