What are the important features I need to consider when buying a scanner?
Resolution, interface, and bundled software are the main things to look at. Resolution tells you how much detail the scanner can reproduce from the original image. A maximum resolution of 300dpi (dots per inch) is fine for text; 600dpi is better for mages. Scanners will have a parallel port, SCSI or USB interface. The interface determines how the scanner talks to the computer. Many scanners can plug into the PC’s parallel port the same way as your printer does, but this can be slow and can interfere with some printers. Some use SCSI, a faster and more intelligent interface. If your PC already has a SCSI interface, this may be the way to go. If not, you’ll need a SCSI card. Many scanners come bundled with a cheap SCSI card, although SCSI scanners tend to cost $25-$50 more than their parallel counterparts. USB scanners are also shipping in increasing numbers, but they work only with PCs that have USB connectivity. Bundled software is not just the driver software that controls the scanner
