Scanning photos on a bed of air

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 18 Oct 2002 at 12:44

HP's new Scanjet 5500c features a unique automatic photo feeder system.

With the new device, there's no need to worry about possible scratches on your pics as an ingenious air-flow system carries the photos from one end of the scanner to another. Sitting on a cushion of air they effectively float over the scan area, guided along the lid of the scanner.

The scanner is capable of processing 24 photos in one batch and is designed to require no warm up time.

For those concerned about possible jams, the pictures are completely accessible at all times. As HP's Image Capture Manager Tim Potter demonstrated, the photos do not 'disappear' into the system at any point. Simply lifting the scanner lid will provide all the access you need.

The emphasis is on ease of use. 'It makes it easier than ever to transform all of your old photos into digital images,' said Potter. 'At the touch of a button, you can scan 24 photos in just six minutes, a process that was previously time-consuming and tedious.'

Other features of the Scanjet 5500c include a USB 2.0 connection, a transparency adaptor for 35mm slides and negatives and OCR software for converting documents to electronic text. It has a scan resolution of 2400 dpi and there are scan to Web and CD capabilities.

The scanner comes bundled with the same image-editing software as HP's other imaging products - printers and cameras. (Note that HP has also just launched a 4.13 Megapixel digicam with a 5cm LCD, the Photosmart 850, which is priced from £399). The idea is to present a common user interface across the HP range.

The Scanjet 5500c is now available for £249 including VAT.