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| HP ScanJet 4300Cse (Input Devices) |
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Hardware Reviews January 2001 • Vol.9 Issue 1 Page(s) 46 in print issue |
HP ScanJet 4300Cse (Input Devices) | ||
 You won't find the Hewlett-Packard ScanJet 4300Cse among the best scanners we've reviewed, but the machine still holds its own against the lower-priced models we've evaluated. Plus, it comes with some cool features and decent image quality for the home user. With 600dpi (dots per inch) resolution and 36-bit depth capability, the 4300Cse reproduces sharp, clear image details and vivid midrange color shades that blend nicely. However, the scanner doesn't do as well at reproducing light and dark shades like other scanners in this price category, and the details within these areas tend to get lost. The 4300Cse also scored low on our grayscale test; it could only distinguish 22 shades of gray, five below our benchmark average of 27. Black-and-white graphics appear crisp and sharp, however, while text-documents appear clean and very readable. The sturdily constructed, 3.5-inch high x 12-inch wide x 19.5-inch deep, 7.5-pound 4300Cse comes with a flexible lid you can lift up horizontally to scan thick media, such as books and magazines. There also are three buttons on the front of the unit for quick scanning to your PC, printer, or e-mail application and a digital readout panel and toggle switch beside the one-touch buttons. The readout lets you see how many copies you've sent to your printer (you can send up to 99) while the toggle switch lets you decide whether to send color or black-and-white output to the printer. Much of a finished project's appearance and the ease with which a user can operate the scanner depend largely on the quality of the software bundle that accompanies the machine. The 4300Cse comes with a software bundle that is impressive for a scanner in this price range. In addition to the HP PrecisionScan LTX scanning software, the 4300Cse arrives with Corel Print House 2000 and Adobe ActiveShare for image editing and management, Trellix Web Design for creating Web sites, and more. Hooking up the scanner to our computer was easy, thanks in part to the accompanying Setup/Configuration poster. We just installed the software, rebooted the computer, connected the scanner's USB cable (a parallel connector is also included), and were ready to go. The scanner automatically calibrates with your monitor so the colors on your hard copy and the monitor image match. We also were impressed with the 4300's scan times, which ranged from a quick 15 seconds for a 150dpi index card-sized color-block image to 2:33 for a large photograph scanned in at 600dpi. With its speedy scan times, decent color reproduction and imaging capabilities, software bundle, and extras for one-touch scanning and copying, the $149 ScanJet 4300Cse should work fine for the home user who wants to scan images for the Web or e-mail attachments. However, the machine's lackluster color reproduction performance across light and dark shades means the 4300Cse is not suitable for the home- or small-office user. by Lori Robison
$149 Hewlett-Packard (800) 752-0900 (650) 857-1501 http://www.hp.com
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