Umax Astra 1200S

In our last scanners Labs (issue 24) Umax walked away with the Value award. This time it's struck gold again and grabbed the coveted Quality award. The Umax Astra 1200S excels both in image quality and scan speed and even retails at a reasonable price. In terms of scanning speed the Astra performed commendably, grabbing third place on the speed table. However, where it really shines is in image reproduction, which is ultimately the prime function of any scanner. It produced the best image quality of all the units on test, proving to be far superior than the closest runner-up, the Mustek ScanExpress 12000P.

The Umax has a commendable optical resolution of 600 « 1,200dpi, with an interpolated resolution of 9,600dpi. Connectivity is via a SCSI interface. The scanner itself has two 25-pin D-type SCSI connectors, and an ISA SCSI card is supplied along with a SCSI cable to connect the unit to a PC. There's also a SCSI terminator, in case you have no other devices to connect to the other SCSI port. That's an impressive bundle considering the relatively low price of the unit and the high quality it produces.

Umax has pulled out the stops with build quality and design. The chassis is solid and stylishly moulded, making it less of an eye-sore than some of the units on test. The lid has extendable hinges so that it rises up when a thick book is being scanned. It's also easily removable for laying very large targets on the scan surface. Simply grip it at both ends and lift, the hinges will then slide free from the casing.

The bundled software is relatively disappointing, with no outstanding titles to speak of. A Umax-badged copy of PageManager is included which deals with basic image manipulation, but it can't really compare with graphics packages such as Adobe Photoshop Limited Edition which ships with the Umax PowerLook. The other two items of software are more innovative. Umax's own Copier package turns your PC into a photocopier, a useful facility if you also have a printer attached to the machine, and Presto! Photo Album allows you to create a photographic album for displaying in your Web browser.

With Photoshop LE bundles available for £30 more, the Umax Astra 1200S has everything you want. With a reasonable price point, it's a deserving Quality award winner.