HP ScanJet 4300c

Aimed at small and home offices, Hewlett-Packard's ScanJet 4300c is a flatbed scanner with 600dpi optical resolution and 9600dpi enhanced resolution for photo-quality scanning in black and white or 36-bit colour. The scanner is bundled with Precision LTX and HP ScanJet copy software, and HP's scan-to-web software, which allows images to be scanned and e-mailed or posted on the Internet. The device connects to the PC via a parallel or USB port and features a hard-copy conversion facility that enables documents to be converted to electronic files. According to the company, a page of text can be scanned into Microsoft word in less that 90 seconds.

The ScanJet 4300c retails for $399.

Umax Astra

Umax has launched a new range of Astra home and small office scanners.

The range includes the Astra 1600, 2100s, 3400 and 3450 scanners.

The devices feature 36-bit colour and 46-bit colour in the 3400 and 3450 models. They come with Umax MagicMatch colour management system and have a standard resolution of 600 x 1200dpi, with a maximum resolution of 9600dpi. All scanners are bundled with image editing and optical character recognition software. Prices range from $169 retail for the entry level Astra 1600U, with USB connection for the 3450 priced at $399.

Umax has also released a new A3 scanner for the high-end graphics market. The PowerLook 2100XL incorporates mirror moving technology for more accurate scanning results at resolutions of up to 9600dpi. Up to 32 transparencies can be scanned at any one time, at up to 200 scans per hour. The PowerLook 2100XL will retail for $5595.

CanoScan D660U

Canon's latest consumer offering scans at 600dpi and features 1200dpi 35mm film and slide scanning with selection of resolutions up to 9600dpi. The CanoScan D660U can also scan text document and includes a USB interface compatible with Windows 98, 2000 or Macintosh 8.5 operating systems. The flatbed scanner comes with ArcSoft PhotoStudio 2000 photo editing software, as well as Caere OmniPage Pro to convert scanned text to documents. The CanoScan D660U retails for around $229.

Epsom Perfection 640U

Epsom has just announced its Perfection 640U scanner for the home-user market. The device provides resolution of 600 x 2400 dpi and features a user-friendly Epsom Smart Panel interface with one-touch button scanning. The Perfection 640U also comes bundled with image editing software. Pricing and availability are yet to be announced.