| Q. |
What
should one look for while buying a scanner? |
| A. |
While
buying a scanner , one should look for the following: |
| |
1 |
Bit
depth (Pixel depth)
The greater a scanner's bit-depth, the more information
it is able to record about each pixel it sees. A
24-bit colour scanner can register up to 16 million
discreet graduations. This level of colour reproduction
has become the standard for most office or web applications.
|
| |
2 |
Resolution
True Optical resolution is far more important
than the Interpolated resolution. The true
optical resolution of a scanner is determined
by the quality of the CCD cell readings taken,
i.e. dots per inch (DPI), and by the optical
system. When comparing scanners, check whether
their optical resolution is true or software
enhanced i.e. Interpolation. Interpolated
resolution captures no additional detail,
it only helps in the enlargement of a scan.
|
| |
3
|
Interface
The two most common types of scanners sold are the
Parallel and USB. If your computer does not have
a USB port, then it may be more cost effective to
purchase a parallel scanner to avoid having to put
in a new USB port.
The other concern with USB and older computers is
in Windows. USB and Windows 95 do not work well
together. So, if you are going for a scanner having
a USB interface, it is recommended that you run
Windows 98 or higher. The advantage of USB over
Parallel is that it tends to be a little faster,
and less likely to collide with other hardware on
your computer. Hundreds of USB devices can work
together without conflicts or performance loss.
Parallel on the other hand works best when there
is a dedicated parallel port for each device. In
most instances parallel scanners require you to
share the same port as the printer, where the printer
is connected to the back of the scanner as a pass
through, in most cases this works fine. It is not
recommended to run more then two devices on one
parallel port.
Firewire and SCSI interface scanners are great for
those who scan frequently and want high end performance
in terms of speed and reliability. The only downside
to both Firewire and SCSI is that the both require
a controller card to operate and tend to be more
expensive. |
|
|
| Q. |
What
is the ideal configuration for a scanner? |
| A. |
Depending
on your usage, points below may guide you to select
a suitable scanner:
|
| 1 |
For
a scan job that is meant to output to an ink-jet
colour printer or desktop laser printer, a 600dpi
flatbed scanner will be excellent for the job, although,
a 400dpi unit may be an adequate and much less expensive
option. |
| 2 |
For a scan job that is meant for a screen i.e. webpage,
a 300dpi flatbed scanner is more than adequate. |
| 3 |
If you want large sheets of documents or high quality
images to be scanned drum scanner is the ideal choice,
as their scan quality is superior to their flatbed
counter-parts. |
| 4 |
If you are constantly on the move because of your
work then hand-held scanner is the ideal choice
as they are portable, can be directly plugged into
your laptops, or even to your PC printer port and
gives reasonably good quality scanned images. |
|
|
| Q. |
Links
to other sites for information on scanners. |
| A. |
The
following are the few popular sites which can provide
more information on scanners:
anandtech.com
cnet.com
hardware.com
pcworld.com
zdnet.com |
