42 out of 42 people found this review helpful.
Slim and cheap!
Date of Review: Mar 11, 2006
The Bottom Line: it is affordable and does what is supposed to do.
I used to have an old parallel flatbed scanner from visioneer. It was huge and heavy. That one was bought years back. The USB Technology is making everything easier even to a flatbed scanner. Especially this scanner, it provides easy of use, easy to re-allocated to other pcs. Basically it is a plug and play device. My company is using it and I like it for the fact that it is not expensive and it is USB.
Introduction
HP is famous in printer. However, for the flatbed scanner, it is also up to the standard. For a simple person like me, you don't like complicated scanner. A light weight will do. Especially nowadays, you can plug this scanner to any personal computers. Most up-to-dated computers have USB port although this model is not the latest.
Software
Software comes with HP director, HP photo and Imaging, Share-to-Web Upload folder, and HP memories disc
HP DIRECTOR - View pictures, view document,Make copies view & print, help. It is just like a portal or short cuts of other functions.
Hp Photo and Imaging - Bring you directly to a folder. You can scan your document and images directly to the folder
Share-to-Web Upload - this is for web use only
HP memories disc - This is to create a cd if you have a writer.
Features
Optical Resolution - 2400 dpi which means dot per inch
the maximum hardware resolution is 2400x2400 dpi and it can go up to 999,999 dpi. The color depth is also good, up to 48bit.
Dimensions
Width 18.58 in.
Depth 11.73 in.
Height 3.66 in.
Weight 5.08 lb.
A little problem
Basically, you can not scan legal size paper. If you have anything bigger than the letter size, you may as well fold it in half and scan it that way.
Since there is no power switch in this scanner, you have to plug in it whenever you use or just plug it in all the time. When power is on, it makes some noise. However, the warm up time is pretty decent. It goes very quick and it turns it off itself when you boot up your computer.
Buttons
There are four buttons on the scan which basically does the function of clicking the software. You don't really need that. Besides, if you have a couple of scanner software, it will ask you which program to pick. I personally don't use the buttons. These buttons are short cuts of the short cuts. In other words, you don't have to click the short cut to go to the program. However, if you have more than one scanning like software such as publisher, imaging software, you will have to select the program when you hit the button.
copy - It is the same as HP director.
scan - It is the HP Photo and Imaging.
insert share button - This is equivalent to Share to Web folder software.
memories disc creator button - this is equivalent to HP memories disc.
In conclusion
I like it because for 4 factors.
First - It is cheap. Cost plays important factor. Why pay so much for a scanner? Less than $100 dollars, you can scan all your memories (pictures, documents) into your pcs. It is really worth the dollars for the quality of this scanner.
Second - Light weight. Although there is no such thing as carry case for scanner, you can easily move it from one office location to another one.
Third - Easy to use software. Download and Install are as easy as scanning your documents. You can have it done in 10 minutes.
Fourth - I choose USB over parallel because whenever I need to use it, I just plug it. As for my old parallel printer, after I plug it in, I have to reboot my pc in order to let the pc recognize the scanner.
As far as the power switch problem, I think many scanners are like that. It tends to shut it off after few minutes idle time. This is not a big set back though. I recommend this scanner to whoever has a computer.
