Microtek ScanMaker 4850 Scanner Review

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(More customer reviews)This seemed to be a very attractive model, especially when compared with HP products. The unit itself is impressive for personal (non-business) needs.
After installing the software on a laptop running XP per Microtek's instructions, scanned files did not open. Using the Microtek.com tech support site, I e-mailed the company for a solution. Within 24 hours I had received a reply with detailed instructions to rectify the Scan Wizard 5 bugs. These instructions did not remedy the problem. A second e-mail was forwarded to Microtek asking for further assistance.
The reply: I needed to call (not toll-free) and to speak with a "consultant" regarding this "complicated issue". For the priviledge of correcting the bugs in Microtek's software, I would be charged [money] for up to 30 minutes plus [money]/minute thereafter. This ... response to milk me for a product I had less than a week caused me to come up with a solution to the tech issues: return the scanner for a full refund.
Recommendaton: Avoid Microtek at all costs. The company is interested in your money only. Canon, Epson and Visioneer are three nice alternatives.

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The ScanMaker 4850 combines affordability and high quality in a 48-bit, 4,800 x 2,400 dpi scanner, making it the ideal scanning solution for your home. Microtek's EDGE design gives you a 25% smaller scanner without sacrificing scan quality, and the unit stands at just 2.4 inches tall, making it the slimmest CCD scanner to date.
Five Smart-Touch buttons automate the most common scanning tasks, including Scan, Copy, OCR, Email, and Scan to Web. A LightLid 35 adapter is included for scanning 35mm slides. The USB port ensures easy setup with the most current and popular computers on the market today.
Software includes Adobe Photoshop LE 5.0(Mac), Adobe PhotoDeluxe 4.0 (PC), ABBYY FineReader Sprint OCR, Microtek ScanWizard 5, Microtek utilities, Ulead DVD PictureShow SE Basic (PC), Ulead Photo Explorer (PC), Kodak Digital Science Color Management System, Adobe Acrobat Reader (PC/Mac), and ASF Digital ROC & Digital SHO Plug-in trial versions. Microtek provides a one-year warranty covering parts and service.

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Epson Perfection V500 Photo Scanner Review

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(More customer reviews)After extensive research I had the good fortune of looking for a photo scanner at the same time the Epson Perfection V500 became available. After scanning the first batch of 60 slides, I can heartily recommend this unit. The most significant capability of this unit, especially for the price, is the built-in ICE technology for scratch and dust removal. It is, in a word, astonishing. And, it is saving me many hours of extra work manually doing the same job. There is software-based scratch and dust removal included in the Epson software, but it is ineffective and cannot compare to ICE. I am scanning at 2,400 dpi, more than enough resolution for any practical use other than heavy cropping and enlargement. I use compressed air to "clean" the slides before scanning. When scanning with ICE turned off, the amount of dust marks are amazing. Turn ICE on and 98% of the dust is gone. It does take longer to scan with ICE, but the offset is the time saved many times over not having to manually remove the dust post-scan. Photoshop Elements 4.0 is included. I use Elements 6.0.
So far, the unit has worked flawlessly. Software installed cleanly on first try. Front panel buttons can be reprogrammed for other than the default (e.g., I changed the button for email attachment to launch the OCR to text software included.)
A tip for those who buy this unit for slide and/or film scanning with ICE and scanning 2-4 slides at a time: Click the "All" button in the preview window after prescanning (previewing) the multiple slides to select all slides, then click the checkbox for ICE to insure that all slides are processed by ICE. You won't find this in the documentation or on Epson's website. I spent time figuring out why all 4 slides weren't being processed by ICE (I thought the unit was defective at first because only the first slide, which is selected by default, was being processed by ICE), so now you know without spending the time I did. I have used the scanner for photographs and documents, and have converted articles to editable text, all with no problems and excellent results. Still, slides/film is where it shines, thanks to ICE.

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The Epson Perfection V500 Photo offers extraordinary quality and versatility with 6400 dpi resolution and an earth-friendly LED light source for greater productivity -- all at an amazing value. Remove dust and scratches from slides, negatives and film. Or, restore faded color photos with one touch. Then, take your photos further with the included Adobe Photoshop Elements.When it's time to archive important documents, you can scan multiple documents fast with the optional automatic document feeder.It's all at your fingertips with this powerful performer.Best of all, the energy-efficient LED means you can work smarter with faster scans and lower power consumption. Plus, with no warmup time, it's easier than ever to get started.

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