subject: Why Do I Need A Computer Scanner [print this page] Simply put, a computer scanner is a device to be attached to a computer to allow the user to directly input images, text or other data. There are a variety of scanners available to serve any number of purposes, in a variety of quality and price ranges. The choice of the best computer scanner depends on what it will be used to do. Here are some examples of the various scanners and their functions.
The most common computer scanner is what is known as a flatbed scanner. It looks rather like the deck of a photocopier, and functions in much the same way. The item to be scanned is placed on the glass deck, the control activated, and an image of the item is loaded into the computer. While this is generally the most versatile computer scanner option, it does take up a fair amount of desk space, so that must be taken into consideration.
A second computer scanner option, and one that takes up less space, and costs less as well, is called a sheetfed scanner. In this case rather than having the scanning head move back and forth over the image to be copied, the image is moved across the scanner head. The drawback to the sheetfed scanner is that only loose sheets may be scanned, as opposed to, say, a page in a book or magazine. In addition, clarity of detail in the scanned image is not as high.
The third possibility, one generally used with laptop computers, is what is known as a handheld computer scanner. In this case, the user passes the device containing the scanning head over the image to be copied, allowing just a section of a page to be copied. The cost of this type of computer scanner is lower still, but image quality is further diminished, and handheld scanners tend to be somewhat difficult to use.
More and more specialized computer scanners are finding their way to market. One in particular is called a cardscanner, which scans only business cards so that data may be imported into a contact list. Another application on the rise is bar code technology, in which a computer scanner directly reads encoded data, increasing material handling efficiency.
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