MicroTek ImageDeck Portable Scanner

Microtek ImageDesk Portable Scanner

Redondo Beach, Calif.,-based Microtek Lab Inc. has delivered the first portable, stand-alone laptop scanner. Weighing a modest 15 pounds, the ImageDeck is sized akin to a modest suitcase: 13 inches wide, 4.8 inches high and 18.9 inches long. Although it lacks a handle or other carrying device, the ImageDeck is easily rolled from place to place similar to conventional catalog cases and cardboard boxes.

The ImageDeck is designed to function independently of a computer -- portable or otherwise. Basically, the ImageDeck may operate in virtually any environment -- basement, attic, off-site storage, sporting event -- so long as a power source is available. Once plugged in, the ImageDeck is ready to scan.

Scan modes are quite adequate for law practice applications. Optical resolution is 600 x 600 dpi with a maximum scan size of 8.5 x 11.7. This means that only letter and A4 sized paper (or smaller) can be accommodated -- not legal size paper. Images the size of a standard postage stamp may be enlarged for legibility.

For scanning color images, 36-bit color (12 bits per RGB color) is afforded with approximately 68.7 billion colors. For scanning black-and-white images, 12-bit Grayscale is afforded with 4,096 shades of gray and 1-bit black-and-white, with 64 halftone shades simulated. The output file formats are conventional: JPEG for color and grayscale, and PCX for black-and-white. Images may be generated with low, medium and high compression, with a compression factor of one to 100.

Scanning with the ImageDeck is conducted by simply pressing buttons on an attractive, sensibly organized front-panel. The device's green Start button is situated at its far left. Immediately to the right of the Start button is a red Stop/Clear button. Next, is the functionally crucial Mode button, which indicates whether scanning or copying is appropriate.

To facilitate various scanning projects, three buttons specify whether vanilla, black-and-white, grayscale or color images should be generated. The Compression button indicates whether the output image should be generated with low, medium or high compression.

Within one of the three compression ranges, an elongated two-button control is provided with a "--" on the left side, used for gradually reducing the compression, and a "+" on the right side, used for gradually increasing the compression.

Similarly, there is a Resolution button that indicates whether the output image should be generated with low, medium or high resolution. Within one of these three resolution ranges, the same elongated two-button control is used (by continuously pressing the "--" for reducing the resolution or the "+" for increasing the resolution) to obtain the appropriate resolution.

The Doc button is perfectly suited for most legal applications. By pressing the Doc, you automatically set the preferred defaults for scanning a text document. Various settings include a black-and-white scan mode, 300 dpi resolution, letter-size scan area and no compression. For trouble-shooting, a LCD display indicates output media-related error conditions that may arise during scanning such as a write-protected disk, no disk, disk full and so on.

Because scanned images are routinely output to removable disks or to a printer, the ImageDeck contains two built-in disk drives -- one for receiving a 1.44 MB 3.5-inch floppy disk, and the other for receiving an Iomega 100 MB Zip disk. A side panel is also provided for attaching a printer or other media such as portable hard drives.

Microtek Lab has packaged the ImageDeck with easy-to-use image processing software including Ulead PhotoImpact for image-editing; Caere OmniPage (Limited Edition) for optical character recognition; and Caere PageKeeper for document management and storage. Considerable editing may be achieved even before returning to normal computer operations. The ImageDeck has redefined the boundaries of text and image scanning. It seems the system's only limitations are an adequate power source and suitable output media.

Microtek Lab Inc.
(800) 654-4160
www.microtek.com

Less than $500

Reviewed by Al Harrison, intellectual property lawyer, Harrison & Egbert, Houston, Texas

Oct/Nov '99 Issue

PRO
A convenient, sturdy, stand-alone portable scanner for scanning documents in remote locations.

CONS
Difficult to carry because no handle is provided; no automatic document feeder available.

VERDICT
Recommended for scanning documents at remote locations where computer-access or computer-savvy personnel may not be available.