Logitech ScanMan 256 - scanning device - Hardware Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, Feb, 1992 by Steve Morgenstern

The Logitech unit is quite simply the best handheld scanner I've used--a combination of functional, innovative hardware design and powerful, easy-to-use scanning and image-editing software.

The size, shape, and feel of a handheld scanner matter a lot, and I find the Logitech unit fits my hand exceptionally well. To solve the common problem of the unit wiggling as you pull it across the original, the Logitech has been designed with one wide roller in the front and two smaller ones in the rear, providing a smooth, stable motion.

The second major problem with hand scanners is velocity--if you move the scanner too quickly (usually very easy to do), your results suffer from serious distortion. Logitech tackled this challenge with a Scanning Speed Indicator light that's clearly visible on the top of the unit. If you're moving at an appropriate speed the indicator glows green. Move a little to quickly, and it turns yellow. Exceed the speed limit entirely, and it turns red, indicating that you'd better start over.

Another smart design decision is the use of a single press of the scanning button to turn the unit on and keep it on until you indicate completion of your scan by hitting the keyboard Return (or Enter) key. Too many handheld scanners expect you to hold that button down throughout the scan--and that constant pressure makes it too easy to move the scanner off course.

The other key to Logitech's success is the Ansel image-editing software included with the unit. Running under Microsoft Windows 3.0 (which must be purchased separately), Ansel combines basis ease of use with several powerful filtering commands. I have been able to dramatically improve scans of mediocre originals by employing. Ansel's Smooth, Sharpen, and Equalize commands.

The only negative involved in using the ScanMan is the size of the unit--its scanning width measures just 4.1 inches across. Ansel does allow you to "stitch" two separate scans together to create a full-width image--it works reasonably well with line art, but photographs are more problematic. As long as you're working with reasonably small originals (snaphsot-size photos or modest-size clip-art images), though, the ScanMan produces remarkably high-quality output at a very reasonable price.