The 36-bit, 600-by-1,200 dpi HP ScanJet 4300C (AU$399) is a reliable business scanner with a well-rounded software package that includes Corel Print House 2000.
Setup is nearly goof-proof, with an auto-run CD that guides you through hardware and software installation.
The ScanJet's copy button has a toggle between colour and black and white, and a rocker switch lets you control the number of copies (displayed in a small LCD window). You can temporarily override the download to your printer to adjust parameters in software. Though you can set the e-mail button to be a true one-touch, the nonprogrammable scan button launches a driver window (rather than an application) where you can scan to any program or upload to prelinked photo-sharing sites. OCR to HTML or Microsoft Word was not clean, but a scan to a PDF was identical to our original.
The TWAIN interface places more emphasis on ease than on getting the perfect image. Neither of our juries was impressed with the ScanJet's default scan, ranking it poorly on both the low- and high-resolution tests. Colours were muted, focus was fuzzy, and details were lost in both the highlights and shadows. The ScanJet's scan speed was about average.
If you need to scan to PDF, the ScanJet is a bargain, and its copy function is the best we tested.
HP ScanJet 4300C
Company: Hewlett Packard
Ph: 13 29 47; Fax: 03 9898 7931
Price: AU$399.
Rating: 3 Star
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