Mustek ScanExpress A3 USB Flatbed Scanner

This is an excellent scanner, and gets even a higher grade for the price. I am a working cartoonist and the ability to scan 11x17 art in one pass is a great convenience. I should add that I purchased this product to replace a previous 11x17 Mustek scanner that died on me after EIGHT years of fine service!! (Full disclosure, I am probably not what you would describe as a heavy power user.) So I purchased this because it had to connect to an Win98 machine, which the newer models do not.

About 7 months after I purchased this scanner, however, I upgraded to a brand new iMac. I have been able to get this to work with the Mac because I installed Windows XP to run within Mac OS X, using Parallels Desktop. (I had some old PC programs and data I still needed to run after the migration.) I was amazed at how easily I got it to work within the virtual Windows environment. So I am grateful I didn't have to rush out and spend money on a new scanner to use with my new system.

One word of caution: Yes, the scanning software that came with the scanner does seem rather poor quality. I've always scanned through Photoshop, which provides a lot more control over the quality and resolution of the scan. Be sure to understand how to scan depending on your output. I scan my original art through Photoshop 5.5 on the Windows XP side, then afterwards simply work with the file using Photoshop CS on the Mac side.

The price for this type of scanner is worth the product. I purchased this scanner for my Macbook. It is compatable with Windows and Macs but not with Mac OSX. The sellers description did not include this information. It is in smaller lettering on the outside of the box though. I now have to pull out my desktop anytime I need to use the scanner, but am willing to do so because of the great price. Also, it only scans through .tif images and the is not 5 star quality. I would still reccomend it for office or school use.

This scanner is well worth the price. The standalone photo editing software is not great. But, when the included twain support software is used in Adobe Photoshop, you can deselect all automatic photo editing features (recommended) and push the settings to 48 bits, and save as high quality .tifs. Excellent image quality when used as I have described. Photoshop is a must! Don't rely on the basic editing software included with the scanner. Well, worth the money, and a "best buy" as far as I'm concerned.

Not exactly the best quality scans I've seen. In fact, I always run the scans through a filter in photoshop. No biggy. I don't regret buying it, but I'm not sure if I'd buy it again. Then again, for the price, you can't really complain.

Do not use this scanner for scanning books. The glass is attached with double-stick tape and came lose on my scanner. It is not put together with common fasteners that would make it easy to take apart and repair. The glass drops down on the scanning mechanism, causing it to get stuck, in addition to dirt getting inside. Sometimes I turn the unit upside down to scan.