Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!walt.cc.utexas.edu!clouds
From: clouds@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Kathy Strong)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: Re: =*= Flatbed Scanners =*= Recommendations?...
Summary: see Publish, Personal Publishing
Keywords: flatbed scanners, IBM
Message-ID: <37557@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 25 Sep 90 14:21:32 GMT
References: <6502@uwm.edu>
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: clouds@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Kathy Strong)
Distribution: usa
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Lines: 47

In article <6502@uwm.edu> yohanan@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steven J. Yohanan) writes:
>
>	I am in the market for a flatbed scanner for my IBM system.
>I haven't been able to find any articles which give a product-by-product
>breakdown of scanners.  I don't even really have a grasp on the price
>ranges of these machines.
>
>	I would be very appreciative if anyone could give me advice
>regarding models, dpi, color vs. b&w, prices, and (maybe) good dealers
>to buy from, etc....  Basically, any information regarding how the
>market stands on these device would be great.

At least once a year, both Publish (formerly Publish!) and Personal
Publishing magazines do comparative reviews of scanners for IBM and
Mac systems. Alas, mine are packed up, so I can't give you stats on 
the latest gee-whiz systems, but I can give you this from memory:

The HP ScanJet seems to be a good low-end system for grey-scale scanning.
For color scanning, the Sharp (this model number may be wrong) JX-450?
is a good high-end machine. It does 11x17" 256-color scans; however, its
software (the scanning portion of PC Paintbrush) is pretty lame. 

DPI is pretty easy: 300 suffices for anything you're likely to be using
a desktop system for. Generally, dpi need not be more than one to one-
anna-half times the screen frequency (LPI) you desire. (Newspaper photos
are usually 65-85LPI; quick-print halftones, around 100LPI; magazine
photos, 120-133LPI; and high-end reproduction (art books and the like)
up to 200LPI.)

You probably don't want a color scanner unless your final product is
pictures on a monitor rather than print--the technology just isn't
there yet for doing four-color printing from desktop scans. On the
other hand, if you're doing desktop video, presentations, etc., a
color scanner is definitely a must-have.

Price ranges (very vague here): $2K to $7K and up. 

I'll try to unearth a recent magazine review and summarize. Till then,
good luck in finding Publish or Personal Publishing... Not a library
in Austin carries the latter, and only one has the former. If you know
of a DTP usergroup or SIG in your area, they're your best bet. You
might also try contacting any Lino service bureau--they're usually up
to the minute on product info (though they'll probably try to persuade
you to use their scanner rather than buying your own!).

Kathy Strong
clouds@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu