How to Buy a Scanner?

Step1 Buy a low-resolution scanner only if you will use it just to scan text.

Step2 If you don't plan to scan from books or magazines, consider a sheet-fed unit, which takes up far less desk space than a flatbed scanner.

Step3 Purchase a low-resolution or medium-resolution scanner if you plan to scan photographs to use on the Internet, as the resolution of Web graphics is low anyway.

Step4 Buy a high-resolution scanner if you plan to scan photographs to print and you have a high-resolution printer (greater than 600-by-600 dots per inch, or dpi).

Step5 Buy a model with 36-bit color depth if you plan to scan photographs or color graphics.

Step6 Purchase a parallel-port scanner if you don't expect to use the scanner often or work
with large files.

Step7 Remember that even scanners that cost less than $100 will provide a good picture'600-by-1,200-dpi resolution. Scanners priced between $150 and $250 usually provide 1,200-by-1,200-dpi resolution.

Step8 Know that speed is the biggest factor in pricing. Parallel-port scanners, which use your existing printer port, are the cheapest and slowest. USB scanners, which require that your computer have a USB port, are faster and cost more. SCSI-card scanners are the fastest and most expensive. You need to install a SCSI card in your computer if it does not have one.

Tips & Warnings

* Your computer will need at least 32 (ideally 64) MB of RAM to scan.


* Don't buy a scanner that has greater resolution than your printer or display device. The extra money will be wasted. Make sure the scanner includes scanning software, an image-editing program and an OCR program

* Some manufacturers mislead consumers with resolution claims.

* Optical resolution is the primary determining factor of quality.

* Be wary of small flatbed scanners that use a CIS (contact image sensor) instead of a CCD (charge-coupled device). They are more reliable but produce inferior image quality and color.