Scanner Drivers
Computer scanners are peripheral input devices that allow you to scan an image or document and input it into your computer. Like most computer hardware, scanners have evolved over the years. The first consumer scanners were small handheld devices that the user manually scanned over the document to create black and white scanned images. These handheld scanners produced poor quality scans because of uneven movements on the part of the user.
Soon, handheld scanners were rendered obsolete when flatbed scanners hit the market. With a flatbed scanner, the image or document gets placed on a flat bed, the lid covers it, and the scanner moves over the image. Color images with higher resolutions and fewer errors became the norm. Scanners remained a popular tool for inputting photos into computers and scanning text. Optical Character Recognition technology made it possible for scanning text and converting it into editable text. Instead having to retype a document, a user could simply scan it and convert it. Many printer manufacturers began manufacturing "all-in-one" units. These units combined a printer with a copier, fax machine, and a scanner. Now, instead of having four peripheral devices, one device could handle all four tasks. Digital cameras have caused demand for scanners to drop dramatically. Because most people now have digital cameras, the need for manually scanning images into the computer has all but disappeared. Businesses still use scanners for scanning documents into their computers. Among the scanner manufacturers, Canon, Epson, and Fujitsu are all major players. HP continues to lead the way in developing "all-in-one" printers. Canon offers photo scanners, film and negative scanners, and an innovative scanner cartridge system. Their scanner cartridge allows you to convert your Canon Bubble Jet printer into a color, sheet-fed scanner. Simply swap your print cartridge for the scanner cartridge and you have a scanner! There's no need for additional equipment, cables, or software. Epson has a large selection of flatbed scanners ranging in quality, price, and resolution. They offer scanners designed with high-rise lids for scanning books as well as scanners designed specifically for photo scanning. Many Epson scanners can handle film and transparencies. Prices range from under $100 to nearly $4,000. Fujitsu gears their lineup of scanners to businesses - large and small. Their ScanSnap scanners are designed for mobile use such as for traveling sales professionals who must scan receipts or documentation while on a business trip. Their WorkGroup scanners are aimed at medium sized businesses who need shared scanning solutions. Their Departmental scanners are for larger organizations needing industrial solutions including a video interface, speed, and performance. In addition, Fujitsu offers network scanners for network scanning and collaboration. Their network scanners also act as shared fax machines. Computer scanners have come a long way since the early black and white handheld scanners. Today, you can still get a portable scanner but it functions much better than the handheld scanners of yesteryear. In addition, high-tech imaging solutions are available for organizations of all sizes to manage their document imaging needs. If you need a scanner for home use, consider an all-in-one unit or the swappable cartridge system from Canon. » Download Scanner Drivers |
Industry Awards
    |
downloaddrivers.net