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If all those scanners, their maintenance and electricity costs around the school are getting you down, why not consolidate them into a single school-wide scanning station? HP’s ScanJet Enterprise 7000n is a stand-alone sheet-fed scanner that connects to a network and provides the hardware for scoring tests, archiving paper files and even scanning artwork. In other words, it can replace a dozen individual scanners in the typical school. The system can capture up to 600 by 600 dot per inch images, which are previewed on the 8.4-inch screen. With a one-year warranty, it will sell for $3,000 when it goes on sale this fall.

 

Scanning with Speed

Forget about trying to use a general purpose scanner for grading standardized tests or archiving material. It’ll take too much time and you’ll never be sure of the results. Epson’s WorkForce GT-1500 scanner uses the latest technology to buzz through a large pile of papers with accuracy. The scanner can hold 40 pages and can chew through up to 20- and 12-pages a minute in monochrome and color, respectively. Capable of 48-bit color and 1,200 dot per inch scans, the GT-1500 has an 8.5- by 11-inch scan bed. Because it has LED illumination rather than a fluorescent lighting tube, there’s no waiting for the scanner to warm up or the sensor to calibrate itself. My favorite feature is the 6 customizable buttons that let the operator create one-touch shortcuts for a variety of uses. The scanner works with PCs and Macs and costs $350.

Both Sides Now

Microtek’s ArtixScanDI 4020 is a high speed scanner that not only can process up to 40 pages per minute but is the rare device in its class that handles both sides of originals. The duplex scanner has an 8.5- by 14-inch scan bed, automatic document feeder and comes with a copy of Adobe’s Acrobat Standard 8.0 for turning sheets of paper into Web-ready files. At this point, the scanner only works with Windows 2000, XP and Vista, and not Macintosh computers. The ArtixScanDI 4020 sells for $1,000.

Scan Fan

Microtek’s ArtixScan M1 can turn any art room into a digital darkroom capable of creating high quality images out of anything from photos and slides to magazine pages and student artwork. Capable of creating 4,800 dot-per-inch resolution digital images, the scanner features an 8.5-by 14-inch scanning bed and automatic focusing so every scan is perfect. The Artix Scan M1 connects with a PC or Mac via a USB cable and costs $650.
If you want more info about the scanner, go to www.microtek.com