jadison
01-11-2002, 4:34 PM
Though not lightning fast, this scanner has a good price and admirable 48-bit color depth.
http://neotech.8m.net/images/umaxastra4450.jpg
WHAT'S HOT: The Astra 4450 features robust 48-bit color, 1200-by-2400-dpi resolution, easy USB connectivity, and four push buttons that automate scanning, copying, e-mailing or faxing, and customized tasks. The 4450 is bundled with a transparency cover, which has a 4-by-5-inch transparency scanning area and can be used with multiple or large-format slides and photos. The 4450's $130 price tag makes it one of the least expensive scanners in its class.
WHAT'S NOT: The Astra 4450 is slower than the top-ranked SOHO scanners. At its maximum resolution of 1200 dpi, for example, the Astra 4450's throughput rate of 424 kilobytes per second fell behind other USB models, including Microtek's ScanMaker 4800 (593 KBPS) and Canon's CanoScan N1240U (488 KBPS). The 4450's scan quality is a mixed bag: Images scanned and saved using its 48-bit color mode displayed accurate colors and sharp details, but images created in standard 24-bit color had less-faithful color reproduction and fuzzier details. (As with other 48-bit models, using the Astra 4450 to scan in 48-bit color takes longer and requires more disk space than scanning in standard 24-bit color.) No automatic document feeder is available for this model.
WHAT ELSE: The software bundle includes an image editor (MGI PhotoSuite III SE) and a fine optical character recognition application (Abbyy FineReader 4.0 Sprint), but lacks a document management program. Using the batch-scanning feature of the scanner software (VistaScan), you can automatically scan up to four 35mm slides at once. If you don't need to scan transparencies, you can save $30 by choosing the Astra 4400 model, which provides all the features of the Astra 4450 except the transparency cover.
Best Use: The $130 Umax Astra 4450 is an affordable dual-format unit for scanning slides and negatives as well as photo prints and documents. But you must scan at the highest color depth to obtain the best-quality images, which makes the scanner slow.
OVERVIEW:
USB, 1200 by 2400 dpi, 11.7 by 18.2 by 3.5 inches (width by depth by height), 9 pounds, 8.5-by-11.7-inch scanning area; includes transparency adapter; no automatic document feeder option. One-year warranty; toll-call technical support (8 hours) on weekdays only.
Price:
$130
Purchasing Info:
http://www.umax.com/
510/651-4000
*Courtesy of PCWORLD.COM HERE (http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,78074,00.asp)
http://neotech.8m.net/images/umaxastra4450.jpg
WHAT'S HOT: The Astra 4450 features robust 48-bit color, 1200-by-2400-dpi resolution, easy USB connectivity, and four push buttons that automate scanning, copying, e-mailing or faxing, and customized tasks. The 4450 is bundled with a transparency cover, which has a 4-by-5-inch transparency scanning area and can be used with multiple or large-format slides and photos. The 4450's $130 price tag makes it one of the least expensive scanners in its class.
WHAT'S NOT: The Astra 4450 is slower than the top-ranked SOHO scanners. At its maximum resolution of 1200 dpi, for example, the Astra 4450's throughput rate of 424 kilobytes per second fell behind other USB models, including Microtek's ScanMaker 4800 (593 KBPS) and Canon's CanoScan N1240U (488 KBPS). The 4450's scan quality is a mixed bag: Images scanned and saved using its 48-bit color mode displayed accurate colors and sharp details, but images created in standard 24-bit color had less-faithful color reproduction and fuzzier details. (As with other 48-bit models, using the Astra 4450 to scan in 48-bit color takes longer and requires more disk space than scanning in standard 24-bit color.) No automatic document feeder is available for this model.
WHAT ELSE: The software bundle includes an image editor (MGI PhotoSuite III SE) and a fine optical character recognition application (Abbyy FineReader 4.0 Sprint), but lacks a document management program. Using the batch-scanning feature of the scanner software (VistaScan), you can automatically scan up to four 35mm slides at once. If you don't need to scan transparencies, you can save $30 by choosing the Astra 4400 model, which provides all the features of the Astra 4450 except the transparency cover.
Best Use: The $130 Umax Astra 4450 is an affordable dual-format unit for scanning slides and negatives as well as photo prints and documents. But you must scan at the highest color depth to obtain the best-quality images, which makes the scanner slow.
OVERVIEW:
USB, 1200 by 2400 dpi, 11.7 by 18.2 by 3.5 inches (width by depth by height), 9 pounds, 8.5-by-11.7-inch scanning area; includes transparency adapter; no automatic document feeder option. One-year warranty; toll-call technical support (8 hours) on weekdays only.
Price:
$130
Purchasing Info:
http://www.umax.com/
510/651-4000
*Courtesy of PCWORLD.COM HERE (http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,78074,00.asp)