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Microtek ScanMaker 4700 Flatbed Scanner (PC/Mac)

Microtek ScanMaker 4700 Flatbed Scanner (PC/Mac)

List Price: $179.99
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Product Info Reviews

Features:
  • True 1,200 x 2,400 dpi optical resolution, 9,600 x 9,600 dpi interpolated, 42-bit color depth
  • USB connection to PC or Mac
  • Easy 1-button scanning; scans area of 8.5 by 11.7 inches
  • Comprehensive software bundle included


Description:

Ideally suited for small home businesses with a variety of scanning needs, the Microtek ScanMaker 4700 combines speed, sharp images, and brilliant colors in an easy-to-use single-pass scanner. It offers 1,200 x 2,400 dpi optical resolution (9,600 x 9,600 dpi interpolated), 42-bit color depth, a flatbed with a full 8.5-by-11.7 inch scanning area, and a software package designed to meet the needs of most serious users. You can connect the scanner via either a USB or SCSI port on PC or Macintosh computers.

Most modern scanners include software that is easy to install, and this is true of the 4700 as well. From the start of setup, we especially liked the fast installation and easy-to-read instructions with minimal fluff. We highly recommend following the enclosed and very logical reference guide for the fastest trouble-free installation. It took us 15 minutes to go from opening the box to scanning. We think novices will appreciate the brief step-by-step tutorial that walks you through basic operations, including scanning photos and using optical character recognition. Since the tutorial is a printed version, you can easily refer back to it whenever you need to.

In our tests, editing and enhancing images was a snap with Microtek's ScanWizard5 software, which provided a simple and straightforward approach to navigating through a variety of scanning tasks. All of our choices (input and output type, resolution, color depth, and so on) were onscreen for easy selection. We enlarged wallet-size photos to 8 by 10 inches while maintaining their image clarity. We scanned 35mm slides and filmstrips with the LightLid add-on component, producing mixed results, as this scanner did not yield the high-resolution images we've seen from systems with built-in film-scanning capabilities.

For text documents, the Trellix Web Microtek Edition and OCR software assisted in reading scanned text and easily reconfiguring and editing images. Pressing another button accessed the copying feature for quick copies. Then, with a click of the third button, we delivered our scanned documents to e-mail and a printer. All of these operations were immediately intuitive or easily mastered with only a little practice.

The ScanMaker 4700 is a solid workhorse, measuring 20 by 11.4 by 4.6 inches yet weighing only 8 pounds. Its sturdy but readily transportable design and clean three-button operation make it a good all-purpose scanner. --Barbara Price

Pros:

  • Single-pass scanning
  • No-mistake setup
  • Good high-resolution scans for general business and home use

Cons:

  • Small user's guide for software
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