A master scanner for plenty of pages – HP – Hardware Review – Evaluation
Gordon Meyer
Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 6250C
Requirements WIN 95/98, 16MB of RAM, 40MB of hard
disk space, USB or SCSI port
Price $500 (6200C without document feeder, $400)
Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard Co., 800-SCAN JET, www.hp.com
or www.scanjet.com
Why are Universal Serial Bus ports such a big deal? In a word: scanners. Before USB, setting up a scanner was an ugly experience. Now, thanks to these smart sockets, all you have to do is plug in the device, and scans happen. We tested Hewlett-Packard’s new ScanJet 6250C, a compact flatbed that’s ultra-easy to use.
Following the instructions on HP’s two-sided mini-poster, it took us all of 20 minutes to set up the ScanJet. Most of that time was spent unpacking the box and obeying the self-running installation CD-ROM. We then connected the scanner to our PC’s USB port, rebooted the system, and we were up and scanning. If your PC doesn’t support USB, the ScanJet 6250C also works with a standard SCSI adapter.
Although you get a useful library of imaging software, you don’t need any of it for basic scans. Pressing a button on the ScanJet 6250C immediately launches a simple utility that lets you scan and save your images. And what sharp scans! With a crisp 1,200dpi resolution, we were scanning color images and small legal type without missing any detail.
The ScanJet’s 25-page automatic document feeder was a mixed blessing. When we scanned standard copier paper or letterhead, the feeder worked fine. But because there’s no adjustable paper guide, it jammed when we attempted to load documents that were narrower than normal, such as magazine pages. (HP also offers the same scanner without the document feeder as the 6200C for $100 less, with the option of adding the scanner later for $200.)
We also liked the built-in 35mm slide adapter, which uses a triangular mirrored holder that rests on top of the scanning glass. It works, though you
must position the slide underneath the adapter properly.
If you need a high-end scanner that can handle high volumes of documents, scoot over to the ScanJet 6250C.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CURTCO Freedom Communications
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
