June 20th, 2000
HP ScanJet 5300C Review by Bill Troop Introduction Hewlett-Packard's relationship with Apple has recently been re-cemented with HP's introduction of an ambitious new series of scanners and printers for USB-capable Macs. The HP 5300C reviewed here is HP's first Mac-compatible scanner in some time. HP's research showed that image quality is a foremost factor for Mac customers, and that insight results in a scanner with 1200 dpi true optical resolution and 36 bit color at a breakthrough price of approximately $299. That is a phenomenal achievement. We well remember the stir that Microtek made in 1993 when it introduced its revolutionary 600x1200 optical, 36 bit Scanmaker III for what then seemed like the bargain price of over $3000. Bundled Software The ScanJet 5300C comes with the professional version of HP's scanning software, as well as a copy utility, Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0, and ReadIris 4.11 professional OCR. HP's scanning software does an outstanding job of recognizing and optimizing photos, line art and text, but also allows full manual control of parameters such as resolution, gamma, sharpness, threshold, etc. Function As much as HP is emphasizing the professional image quality of this scanner, it is also emphasizing unprecedented ease of use: the front panel has four buttons you can press to automatically scan, copy, or e-mail. (There is a fourth button for faxing but this is not yet functional while HP works on perfecting its Mac faxing software.) These buttons can effect significant time savings for users, because all the appropriate settings are chosen for you when you press the button. Accessories Several accessories are available which we did not test. These include a 35mm slide adapter, a 25-page automatic document feeder, and a 5x5-inch lighted transparency adapter for slides and other transparencies.
Form We enjoyed working with the ScanJet 5300C; we also like its style. We must admit that we are beginning to dread the idea of having to look at yet another lookalike Bondi blue see-through peripheral. There has to be a world beyond that. The 5300C has nice curves, and the blue buttons contrast nicely with the dominant grey plastic. However, the paper decals detract from this otherwise pleasing twist on the admittedly limited parameters available to the industrial designer of a flatbed scanner. System Used For Testing We tested in a UMAX S900 with G4 accelerator cards by Sonnet and XLR8. For USB capability, we used Keyspan's capable PCI card with dual USB ports, along with its new 4-port USB hub. We used OS 8.6. We experienced no software or hardware glitches. Conclusion The ScanJet 5300C is an attractive looking scanner that molds form and function together into one. HP has long been known for the quality of its scanners, and their reentry into the Mac market should prove a success. The 5300C shows HP at its best: technically proficient, user-friendly, yet a good value. While their are less expensive USB scanners on the market, this model offers the best bang for users with more serious scanner needs.
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