Umax Astra 2000P Flatbed Scanner

Rating:
Summary: Software Tricky But Is Was Worth The Effort
Review: I write this less than five hours of taking my Astra 2000P out of the box. The software install was kind of tricky, it has you selecting "VistaScan 3.5" after the first launch of the software program. Well, my selection box was empty! I reinstalled the software twice, went online and registered everything and finally there it was "VistaScan 3.5". After that, the installation was uneventful. The Astra 2000P delivers sharp and I mean sharp images at 300 dpi, right on line with the Visioneer 6000b that I just threw in the garbage after about 30-40 scans and a year and three months use (firmware failure). My Umax 2000P even came with Adobe Photoshop 3.0! I'm very pleased, I would recommend this scanner to a friend.

Rating:
Summary: So far so good!
Review: My biggest headache came in the connecting stage: At first I didn't know how it should be arranged. I found out that I have to connect it precisely in the correct order (PC=>scanner=>printer), and not the other way around (PC=>printer=>scanner). A good lesson for me. As for the software, I didn't have any problem with software installation. And the software is not bad. However, I have bitten by the reality that it doesn't have any on/off button! The conclusion is: So Far, So Good!

Rating:
Summary: Can't get it to work with XP
Review: Now using Microsoft XP but can't find a driver to bring it up past 98.

Rating:
Summary: Yellow Bandidng
Review: The Umax Astra 2000P seemed to work fine for more than a year. Then one day it started exhibiting a yellow band on scans. Umax offers a methode of resetting the scanner. Some time it works once but most of the time the yellow band won't go away entirely.
I've seen where others have the same problem with no remedy. The downloadable driver upgrade is over 20 Megs.
My long term impression is that Umax is run by someone from another universe. Their concept of service is really weird. Before you buy their products, peruse the web and see what others think. I won't buy from them ever again.

Rating:
Summary: not bad despite using a 12-bit converter with 2-bits floatin
Review: This is my 4th attempt at a scanner. I went throug several HP's at 4X cost, and Visioneer. This scanner has the best performance, I dont see the errors due to the scan speed change I see with the others. You should note However: they advertise 12-bits performance but the internal processor only uses 10. I don't think this changes things too much because 2**30 and 2**36 are both beyond the accuarcy of the CCD's. The key to the success of this scanner is good mechanics.

Rating:
Summary: It's All New to Me
Review: This is my first experience with a scanner so I don't know how long it should take to scan to my printer but 20 mins seem excessive. It scans to my docs very quickly, but then gets hung up when I try to import it while in Broderbund Printshop delux. Would love to see others reviews

Rating:
Summary: It's All New to Me
Review: This is my first experience with a scanner so I don't know how long it should take to scan to my printer but 20 mins seem excessive. It scans to my docs very quickly, but then gets hung up when I try to import it while in Broderbund Printshop delux. Would love to see others reviews

Rating:
Summary: Nothing but trouble
Review: This is the second Astra 2000P that someone in my family has purchased and both are terrible. The scanner is finnicky with connections and the software is often confusing with little documentation to help you figure out how to scan things. I don't recommend this scanner at all since about the only thing its good for is an oversized paperweight!

Rating:
Summary: Nothing but trouble
Review: This is the second Astra 2000P that someone in my family has purchased and both are terrible. The scanner is finnicky with connections and the software is often confusing with little documentation to help you figure out how to scan things. I don't recommend this scanner at all since about the only thing its good for is an oversized paperweight!

Rating:
Summary: Loaded up and operated quickly and easily
Review: This was my first scanner purchase, and so far I am very pleased. The hardware hook-up required minimum effort, and the software loaded on the first try. Within an hour of start-up, I was scanning and printing, with good results.I would recommend this product to anyone, especially the first time user.