Henry,
Before purchasing a scanner I would recommend going to several
manufacturers' websites and reviewing the literature. First off the scanner
must have the following attributes:
1. Flatbed with removable top - This allows you to scan documents that
are bigger than the image area of the scanner
2. Scanner software must contain a photo stitch package - This allows
you to merge several scans of a document or photograph into one image
3. If the documents are very old, make sure the scanner emits no
infrared or ultraviolet light - these light sources are very dangerous to
old documents and artifacts
4. Operating Temperature - Make sure the image surface of the scanner
does not get hot - otherwise a stuck document or photograph
After checking for the aforementioned facts, investigate the need for a
scanner that can also scan photographic slides.
*** In all cases, do not buy an all in one scanner/printer/copier. Normally
the top is not removable and the image surface does get fairly warm after
scanning several documents.
For your second question, you have two choices in two categories
1. Your choices are an external CD-ROM burner or an external DVD-ROM burner
2. The interface, (hook up to the computer or laptop), can either be a USB
2.0 or fire wire (1394) connection
Since you have a new laptop, you should have both connections. A fire wire
connection is faster but more expensive. Both will require that you buy the
cable as a separate item.
A CD-ROM can hold about 700 megabytes of information. This is equivalent to
one entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica with annual index. The
specifications on this device are given as read speed of CD-ROM, write speed
of CD-ROM, and read/write speed of CD-Rewritable. Because of the USB and
fire wire interface, anything over 32X speed is overkill and a waste of
money.
A DVD can hold the equivalent of 6 CD-ROMs. Look for a drive that will write
a DVD-R- (that is dee vee dee dash r minus) the DVD-R+ are older technology
and the blank disks are not as common as before.
If you buy a DVD writer, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WRITE AT SPEEDS OVER 4X. The
recordings produced at the higher speeds are not reliable even on the same
machine.
If you or any others have any more technical questions, please write me off
line. I will be willing to answer.
Glenn Gregory
CTO
Jubal Communications, Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Henry Wiencek
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2005 6:49 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Scanner
I need to purchase a digital scanner to make high-quality digital images
of historical photos for publication. Can anyone recommend one?
There is a further wrinkle. I recently bought a Dell Inspiron laptop and
I stupidly told the clerk I did not need a CD burner, since I didn't know
what a CD burner was (I thought it was something for mass-producing
pirated movies). So now I discover that I can't copy files to a CD from
the laptop. Is there an external CD drive I can buy that will accommodate
the large files of digital images? I'll need to send a CD to the
publisher with the images. Naturally, all this has to be done on a crash
basis because my wife's publisher just called and said they need her
book's cover photos within a week or so.
Sorry to burden the list with a tech question, but it is historically
related. Folks can reply off-line.
Many, many thanks,
Henry Wiencek
Charlottesville
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