Canon CanoScan N1220U Scanner

Setup was a breeze. We glanced through the quick-start card, popped in the CD, and followed the onscreen instructions. (The entire manual is on the CD-ROM.) Operation went just as smoothly as setup (with only one button, it's hard to go wrong). We followed the software driver's onscreen prompts to set color depth, gray scale options, and size with just a few mouse clicks.

In our tests, we scanned a variety of documents. At about 35 seconds for a color photo and 20 seconds for a monochrome document, the overall speed was quite acceptable. We did notice a slight loss of detail in shadowed areas of photos, but in general the resulting images were clean, crisp reproductions of the originals.

However, we were disappointed by the lack of a transparency option. Also, despite its slim size and energy-efficient design, the N1220U is by no means silent; chances are you won't want to scan while taking an important phone call. If you find yourself in need of technical support, free options are found either online or via an automated phone line, but talking to a live support person costs $10 per call. Still, despite these drawbacks, the N1220U is a good scanner that's easy to use and provides clear, sharp results. --Jill Lightner

Pros:

• Extremely easy to use
• Lightweight and portable
• USB connection is ideal for laptops
• Results are clear and sharp

Cons:

• Doesn't work with transparencies or slides
• Expensive technical support

Even though it's slim, you can still scan bulky items because this remarkable and affordable scanner comes with a new expansion top, so you can scan books and magazines with no problems. Other scanner covers can become uneven because lifting them at an angle can be awkward, but the N1220U's exclusive Z-Lid expansion top opens vertically, so you can lay items down flat.

Housed in a metallic champagne finish, this high-tech scanner delivers outstanding 1,200 x 2,400 dpi scans and uses a single USB cable for power and connection. With the single push of a button, you get 42-bit scanning with color depth and brilliance of more than 4 trillion possible colors. And it is compatible with both Macintosh and PC. The N1220U weighs 3.3 pounds and measures 10.1 by 14.7 by 1.3 inches. It comes with a one-year limited warranty and the Canon Extended Service Plan.