Rating: 
Summary: Correction
Review: This is one of the best scanners I have ever used...Altho it does not come with PhotoShop 5.0 LE....Only the 1220u comes with the LE cd...
Rating: 
Summary: Great scanner for the Home User
Review: This scanner is great for the market it is intended for. It is clearly directed at the home user, or someone who needs something somewhat portable. I got mine to replace a UMAX Astra 1220P. Setup was a snap, not having a second cord for power is very convenient. The scans are very crisp and clear and the software seems fairly easy to use and should be suitable for most home users. I replaced my UMAX because the bulb failed. I bought the canon because it has no bulb to fail. When buying this consider what you are using it for. For the majority of users 600x1200 dpi resolution is more than anyone would need for home use...One complaint. The software/drivers have locked up on me a couple of times. I am not sure what the problem is, but I think it may be conflicting with the TV video driver on my ATI all in Wonder card.
Rating:
Summary: Slow. But cheap.
Review: Those looking for an inexpensive but versatile light-duty scanner need look no further than this CanonScan N650U device.
Some time back, I had been looking for just such a scanner for "occasional" use, and comparisons among those available were easily narrowed down to this unit.
The CanonScan 650U is a "universal" (PC/Mac) device using the now-ubiquitous USB interface. The bundled software (on CD-ROM) is easily installed, and provides a great deal of flexibility to how the scanner is used, the image-file formats in which scanned images may be saved, and the color (or gray scale) depth, resolution and sharpness of scanned images. The menu-driven features are largely intuitive for anyone not a total "newbie" to scanners, but the bundled software also includes very detailed and comprehensive documentation (in the form of Adobe Acrobat pdf files).
Results, in the form of scanned (and printable and/or transmittable) images, are superb, with excellent detail and resolution and accurate rendering of tonal and color scales. The design of the cover, with its clever "Z" hinge, permits scanning of pages of fairly thick books, if need be. A button on the front of the scanner, when pressed, will automatically launch the program so that a scan (or a "preview") can be made; alternatively, the program can be launched manually using a desktop alias or shortcut.
The image-manipulation menu allows for a very wide degree of control over how the scanned image can be "finalized." Tonal and color scales and image contrast can be extended or compressed, or distorted for special effects. Sharpness (separate from choice of resolution, in pixels) can be enhanced by degrees, or even thoroughly "customized." (A mild word of caution for those using these enhancement features when scanning half-tone images: It IS possible to create Moire patterns [fringing] if some of these adjustments are overdone. Some practice may be required, and then the best results saved as a template for future use.)
I wouldn't necessarily characterize the CanonScan 650U as a "frequent-duty" scanner. It is likely to be too slow for professional use. It is hardly as quick as a photocopier. But, if you, like me, need such a device only for occasional use and moreover need the image-manipulation capabilities that only a full-featured software program can provide, I can recommend this unit highly. It is very inexpensive for what it does and for the features it provides.
All of the above is provided in the context of Macintosh installation and use. Results for PC platform use should be expected to be the same, but installation and access and use of the features may differ slightly. I suggest that PC users interested in the CanonScan 650U read other reviews on this product page for a sense of what PC users have to say about this scanner.
Bob Zeidler
Rating:
Summary: Slow. But cheap.
Review: Those looking for an inexpensive but versatile light-duty scanner need look no further than this CanonScan N650U device. Some time back, I had been looking for just such a scanner for "occasional" use, and comparisons among those available were easily narrowed down to this unit. The CanonScan 650U is a "universal" (PC/Mac) device using the now-ubiquitous USB interface. The bundled software (on CD-ROM) is easily installed, and provides a great deal of flexibility to how the scanner is used, the image-file formats in which scanned images may be saved, and the color (or gray scale) depth, resolution and sharpness of scanned images. The menu-driven features are largely intuitive for anyone not a total "newbie" to scanners, but the bundled software also includes very detailed and comprehensive documentation (in the form of Adobe Acrobat pdf files). Results, in the form of scanned (and printable and/or transmittable) images, are superb, with excellent detail and resolution and accurate rendering of tonal and color scales. The design of the cover, with its clever "Z" hinge, permits scanning of pages of fairly thick books, if need be. A button on the front of the scanner, when pressed, will automatically launch the program so that a scan (or a "preview") can be made; alternatively, the program can be launched manually using a desktop alias or shortcut. The image-manipulation menu allows for a very wide degree of control over how the scanned image can be "finalized." Tonal and color scales and image contrast can be extended or compressed, or distorted for special effects. Sharpness (separate from choice of resolution, in pixels) can be enhanced by degrees, or even thoroughly "customized." (A mild word of caution for those using these enhancement features when scanning half-tone images: It IS possible to create Moire patterns [fringing] if some of these adjustments are overdone. Some practice may be required, and then the best results saved as a template for future use.) I wouldn't necessarily characterize the CanonScan 650U as a "frequent-duty" scanner. It is likely to be too slow for professional use. It is hardly as quick as a photocopier. But, if you, like me, need such a device only for occasional use and moreover need the image-manipulation capabilities that only a full-featured software program can provide, I can recommend this unit highly. It is very inexpensive for what it does and for the features it provides. All of the above is provided in the context of Macintosh installation and use. Results for PC platform use should be expected to be the same, but installation and access and use of the features may differ slightly. I suggest that PC users interested in the CanonScan 650U read other reviews on this product page for a sense of what PC users have to say about this scanner.
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