"Scan" This H/P Scanner (HP Scanjet 5300C)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	HP Scanjet 5300C
Date:	09/12/00 (1997 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good quality. Easy to use. Price

Disadvantages: None yet!!

HP 5300C SCANNER

~ ~ The HP 5300 Scanner gives you all the added benefits of a top of the range scanner, but at a fairly affordable price, at least for a HP.
Quire a few changes and extra features are available that weren’t on the 5200, but if you think you can live without them, then you’ll most likely be able to drive a good bargain on an old 5200 model. There are a fair few of them still knocking around in stockrooms.
Beware however, if you are a Mac user – the old 5200 wasn’t Mac-compatible.

~ ~ Apart from making the scanner useable for Mac owners, the main improvements are in the dpi (dots per inch) and in the number of buttons.
The 5200 was 600 dpi optical and 9600 dpi in the advanced mode. The 5300 is much improved with 1200 dpi optical and 9600 dpi in the advanced mode.
This only really becomes a factor if you are doing high-end scanning.
If you’re simply messing about with the machine, scanning photos for Web pages or text documents, then you most likely won’t notice the difference.

~ ~ HP’s advanced mode is far better than most manufacturers.
It helps you out by cleaning up higher resolution images, getting rid of some of the “noise” and random edges that occasionally appear.
They somehow manage to squeeze more resolution out of the hardware rather than the software, which in everyday use gives you a far better image, especially when you are using colour.

~ ~ You really couldn’t find an easier scanner to use than the 5300.
Just simply push the scan button, choose your destination, and the HP’s software takes over, doing everything else for you.
It optimises your document automatically to suit the format of whatever programme you happen to be sending it to, without you having to do a thing.
If you happen only to want a small part of a document, or more control over the scan, then you can quite
simply do a preview, change any of the settings, or select the individual portions that you require. Then change the location or format to save it again. Once again, the scanner does this operation automatically for your selection.

~ ~ So it wins both ways.
It’s great for the more advanced user who might want to play around with the settings a little bit, or for novices who really don’t want to be bothered with the technicalities.
Pressing the print button gives you a full colour copy in less than a minute!
If you wish to use the E-mail or fax buttons, it’s necessary to have a compatible programme set up. Pressing the button will again automatically launch the applications for you, and place your document into them.

~ ~ Because of the quality parts that are a benchmark for HP, the machine is very durable.
Next time you visit your local computer store, take a long, hard look at the scanners on display. You will be hard pressed to find one that isn’t made of plastic!
Then compare it to the HP 5300C. Even under the lid it’s far more impressive than its competitor’s models.
You wouldn’t buy a cheap plastic camera and expect to get award-winning pictures from it, would you? Then why expect the same thing from a cheap plastic scanner.

~ ~ Even if you have a fairly old P.C., you can still use the 5300.
Users get a choice of connection, USB or Parallel.
If your PC has it, then definitely opt for the USB. This can nearly double your scan time.
With a USB connection the average scan will only take you around 20 to 30 seconds, whereas with Parallel this drops to the 30 to 45 seconds mark.
Whatever connection you finally choose it is VITAL that you follow the enclosed set-up instructions to the letter. The order that you plug things in and install the software is extremely important. Trust me on this one; I’ve spent hours trying to do this.
If you do follow
the instructions you should have no real problems. HP even enclose a rather useful poster to help you out.

~ ~ If you are a MacIntosh user however, then it has to be USB. They don’t have a choice of connections, which basically means you need an iMac.

~ ~ There is a full version of Adobe Photo Deluxe Business Edition included free. This is a cracker of a programme. (but that’s another opinion)

~ ~ Taken overall, this is a great scanner for the price.
For around £200 to £250, you get a high quality, top of the range scanner that just a few years ago would have cost upwards of £800.
If you’re serious about scanning, and planning on doing more than just a few pictures for a web site, the HP 5300C could well be the one for you.

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