Umax Astra 2000U Flatbed USB Scanner (PC/Mac)

Amazon.com Review
With driver software that makes the scanning process easy and a USB interface that makes setup simple, the Umax Astra 2000U offers hassle-free scanning. This scanner also includes a comprehensive software bundle for editing and managing your images.

To set up the Astra 2000U, we followed the included quick-start guide. We connected the USB cable from our PC to the scanner and the AC adapter cable from the scanner to the outlet, dropped in the CD-ROM, and followed the Umax setup wizard. The software setup process, although automated, was lengthy, taking about 15 minutes.

To test the Astra 2000, we started an imaging application on our PC and used its Scan command to scan a magazine photo. The Umax VistaScan driver software started automatically and, after a short delay while the lamp warmed up, showed us a preview scan. (VistaScan consistently waited for the scanner's lamp to warm up even after the lamp was already warm.) VistaScan has Beginner and Advanced buttons at the top of its window; the Beginner screen includes icons for color photos, printed material, text, line art, and Web images. We selected the working area on our preview scan and clicked the Color Photo icon for a final 300-dpi scan, which took 45 seconds. VistaScan automatically exported the image to our graphics application. The image had an unsightly moiré pattern, so we repeated the scan using a magazine descreening option. The new scan took 110 seconds and showed a significant improvement. A third scan at 600 dpi took 125 seconds but looked only marginally better than the first scan.

To test optical character recognition (OCR) abilities, we scanned a single page that contained two columns of text plus some line art. The scan took about 50 seconds, including OCR translation. Caere's OCR software ignored the line art and created a two-page document with a single column of text, which it then exported to Microsoft Word. The two-page formatting was unexpected, but the interpreted text was correct and the OCR software did a decent (though not perfect) job of recognizing fonts. You'll want to explore the well-chosen bundled applications, which are designed more for home use than for business.

Pros:

PC and Mac compatible
Easy hardware setup
Detailed printed owner's manual

Cons:

Lengthy software setup

Product Description:
The UMAX Astra 2000U is the ideal scanner for home and office. It features intelligent scanning software that simplifies the scanning process. With the new USB interface, setup is truly "Plug and Play". Just plug in the scanner, install the software and you're up and running in minutes.Use scanned images to add excitement to your documents, reports and Web pages, or share images by e-mail with clients, family and friends. With the included software you can archive photos and important documents, copy, fax and more! This combination of exclusive hardware and powerful software will be one of the most fun and useful computer tools you'll ever use. Explore your creativity and make your documents come alive.

Umax Astra 2000U Flatbed USB Scanner (PC/Mac)

Average customer rating:

Not compatible with Windows XP
Planned obsolecence
Works for a day
GREAT SCANNER FOR THE MONEY!
Umax products $ucks!

Umax Astra 2000U Flatbed USB Scanner (PC/Mac)

Manufacturer: Umax
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Flatbed | Scanners | Office Electronics | Categories | Electronics

Flatbed Scanners | Printers & Scanners | Camera & Photo | Categories | Electronics

Printers & Scanners | Used Photo & Camera | Specialty Stores | Camera & Photo Features | Electronics

Office Electronics | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Umax | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Belkin F3U134-10 USB Extension Cable (10-Feet)
Monster Cable MP AV600 Power Protector
Monster PC700 Computer PowerCenter¿ with Surge Protection
Canon 1029A004 Photo Paper Pro for BJC-8200 (8.5"x11", 15 Sheets )
Acoustic Research AR-8V 8-Outlet, 1284 Joule, $50,000 CEW Surge Protector

Product Features:

True 600 x 1,200 dpi optical resolution
Superior CCD scanning technology
USB interface
Windows and Mac compatible
Single-pass scan

ASIN: B00000JGPU

Product Description

The UMAX Astra 2000U is the ideal scanner for home and office. It features intelligent scanning software that simplifies the scanning process. With the new USB interface, setup is truly "Plug and Play". Just plug in the scanner, install the software and you're up and running in minutes.Use scanned images to add excitement to your documents, reports and Web pages, or share images by e-mail with clients, family and friends. With the included software you can archive photos and important documents, copy, fax and more! This combination of exclusive hardware and powerful software will be one of the most fun and useful computer tools you'll ever use. Explore your creativity and make your documents come alive.

Amazon.com Review

With driver software that makes the scanning process easy and a USB interface that makes setup simple, the Umax Astra 2000U offers hassle-free scanning. This scanner also includes a comprehensive software bundle for editing and managing your images.

Pros:

PC and Mac compatible
Easy hardware setup
Detailed printed owner's manual

Cons:

Lengthy software setup

Customer Reviews:

Not compatible with Windows XP.......2006-02-02

I got this scanner as a gift a few years ago, and it served my purposes then when my computer's operating system was Windows 98. It did a decent job scanning my pictures and I was satisfied with it. Since then I have gotten a new computer with Windows XP, but the Umax Astra 2000U isn't compatible with it. Windows XP isn't able to locate the TWAIN driver, it keeps saying there are missing dll's, trouble with the OCR...plus a lot of other things. I'm not a technical person, so I really couldn't tell you exactly what else was missing or whatever. You can get updated software for these problems, but only if you're willing to shell out money for a CD-ROM or download it from a link on their site. Either way it'll cost you. So even though I won't be throwing it out, I will certainly be shopping around for a better quality scanner that is compatible with XP. This one, I'll give it away to someone who is still using 98 SE, 98 or anything below it, but I doubt if I'll be able to find anyone who still does.

Planned obsolecence.......2005-04-03

The UMAX 2000U scanner itself is adequate, like so many scanners out there, and you'd expect this major name would offer better support. Made in 1999, it lacks the speed or image handling capabilities of its current competition. Features in, say, the current Epson models (which include smart-scanning an image, so you don't have to crop) are absent here.

Unfortunately, a scanner is often no better than its software, and UMAX has left Mac OS X users out in the dark. This scanner only works with Windows and OS 9; UMAX refuses to release a software update for Mac OS X. Moreover, apps like the esteemed Silverfast -- meant to fill in the software gap -- only make drivers for OS 9.

In effect, by purchasing a UMAX scanner, you risk signing up for a product that will require you to buy new hardware or software down the line. Even its OS 9 software suffered from performance glitches, like impaired scanning with the free software updates. I've been forced to upgrade (but not to a UMAX product; I've learned my lesson). That's the reason so many of these are available on internet auctions and the like.

Given its archaic performance even under Mac OS 9, you have to decide for yourself whether it's a good investment to get a product with impaired short and long-term usabiliy.

Works for a day.......2004-08-04

The dumbest scanner I have ever seen you shoud check out the software old and slow.

GREAT SCANNER FOR THE MONEY!.......2003-12-18

I've had this unit for almost 3 years now and it has given me GREAT service!

Umax products $ucks!.......2003-09-03

do not buy umax products... it is a total waste of money.
most of the time the drivers and software provided by the company does not work with the operating system you are using. in order for it to work properly you must go to their web site and download a patch that supposed to fix the problem but instead the patch conflicts with other softeware such as camera software or even the operating system (one more thing the drivers and patches at their website are not free).
I wrote to umax and they have never responded to any of the emails i have sent to them. I decided to call the support center and I was refered back to the website to download another patch. (very bad customer support)

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics