Customer Reviews

Canon CanoScan N650U USB Flatbed Scanner

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am very impressed with this scanner. It is my first, so I don't have much to compare it to, but it worked extremely well once I figured a few things out. One thing you should be aware of; since this unit is powered only through the USB cable, Canon strongly recommends that you do not use a longer cable than the one supplied with the scanner. It's about 5' long, which should be long enough for most. Also, as others have stated, it should only be connected to a direct USB port on your computer.(not a hub, or "daisy chained" with other USB devices). Instalation was easy. Just follow the instructions in order. The software is easy to learn if you have the time to play with it. I didn't, so I went to Arcsoft's web site and downloaded the manual. My first scan was a 3.5" x 5" color photo. I set the res at 600 dpi. It took a LONG time. Then I realized I had the scan size set at 8.5" X 11" (duh). It was scanning the entire flatbed. Once I adjusted the scan size, it scanned the same photo, at the same res, in only about 20 seconds. And it's whisper quiet. I have read others complain that that it won't scan 3-D objects well at all. It probably wont. It uses entirely different technology than older "brighter" scanners which need a separate power cord. I don't see this as a problem for me, as 99% of my scans will be photos or text pages. I would recomed this product to anyone.

This is my second scanner from Canon. I owned the first Canoscan that came out a few years ago, and it served me very faithfully. Upon upgrading my system, I felt the need to get a new scanner with USB. I came back to the Canoscan models.

This unit was incredibly easy to install (both hardware and software). The USB plug acts as both a port connector and a power cord! The unit is very slim and compact, takes up hardly any desk space. The software pack comes with a limited edition of Adobe PhotoShop 5.0-- for those of you who do not know, Photoshop is a professional photo editing package.

All in all, a very nice scanner package. 42 bit color and great 600 by 1200 DPI. Also, the scanner has the ability to scan items up to 1" thick-- like books.

The scanning is easy, you can open the software or you can use the 'one touch' button on the scanner. There are different settings, so you can customize what the scanner does when the one-touch button is used-- copying, faxing, scanning, etc. The scans are crisp, and the USB is much faster that traditional parallel port scanners. (I speak from experience)

Most people consider this an 'entry-level' scanner, but IMO, unless you're scanning satellite photos and trying to find the missle silos (haha)-- this is the scanner for you.

If you ARE looking for something with a little more *bang*, I also recommend the CanoScan N1220U- same size, same software, but higher DPI and a sleek metal casing. (costs more!)

I have owned my CanoScan N650U for about a month now, and it has performed flawlessly. Setup took no more than ten minutes, with no complications. The softwear is intuitive and intelligent, and has presented no problems. The scan quality is tremendous - I can't even think of reasons why you would need higher resolution than the 1200 DPI that this scanner. At high resolutions, the biggest problem (true of all scanners) is not the resolution, but dust or fingerprints on the document you are scanning. The scanner is very sleek, unlike its far more bulky competitors. It makes a bit of sound when scanning, about average from my experience with other scanners.

A great buy.

This is a great machine at a good price. It is not even in the same league as my old parallel port scanner. The USB connection makes this unit very fast. The quality of scans from this machine are A+. Easy set-up and connection. Had it up and running in five minutes. Slimline design fits anywhere. Comes with full version software package where others (HP) come with only a trial version. Only drawback would be that the USB connection is not too secure. Buy this unit, you wont be sorry.

the GOOD: lightweight, small, cheap, no power cord...the BAD: scans the flattest paper, 99.9% paper only! horrible software! FOR: beginners and only those scanning the flattest objects!

i got the CanoScan N650U because of such overwhelming positive reviews, then i bought it and tried it - easy to install and started scanning. it is NOT AS GOOD as the majority online says it is. from the reviews i read, it was suppose to be quiet, fast and easy to use. well...it's not exactly that. i even contacted Canon, who said they would reply back with help in 2-3 days; it's been over a week.

it's almost louder than my old scanner, a Umax Astra 1220S and crashes alot more on Window2000! the N650U scans at a good speed, though i had hoped faster for USB. while i do admire it's size and design, i despise it's scanning program and even it's scanning ability, or lack of i should say.

the N650U only scans well if you have a perfectly flat object [99.9% paper material] on the surface. if u do not have a flat object and you scan, u will get the blurrest image!!! i'm talking about the slightest wrinkle in the paper, and the N650U will see it as a BIG blur! this scanner is ONLY for the flattest object, dont think of using it for magazines that are creased or such, you will get blurs at the crease.

compared to my 1220S, the N650U is a lost cause! the photos scanned do not appear as clear as my 1220S and have white specks on the scans, even after i cleaned the glass surface! while the N650U saves space, it doesn't save the user from agony and professional use. it is overall a waste of money unless you are a pre-beginner at scanning and only scan flat paper images, which turn out decent.

my 1220S does a good job of scanning everything! flat objects and 3D objects! the only reason i thought of buying another scanner is because i wanted to use the USB port rather than a SCSI port. and that my scanner is bulky compared to the N650U...but now that i've tried another scanner that seemed really nice but wasnt, i am definitely returning the N650U, then either stay with my old scanner or buy another brand.

while the N650U looks beautiful on your desktop, it's not quite useful enough for a true designer working with graphics, drawings, etc. and for under 100$, there is NO such thing as high quality in this scanner. better to try another brand [first] and compare the results.

The Canon CanoScan N650U is a terrific portable scanner, as described in the many reviews here. Be warned, however, that the USB port--where the USB cable is inserted--is extremely flimsy--it's already broken after about 3 months' use. The weight of the cable itself is enough to eventually break the connector (actually, the small circuit board inside the scanner on which the USB connector is mounted has broken loose). I use it a lot and bring it back and forth from work--I suspect this design just can't handle constant use. It clearly needs a redesign.

I loved this scanner when I bought it. It's approximately the same size as a laptop! And it didn't require its own electrical outlet, it's powered through the USB cable. The installation of the software was a breeze, but I couldn't get it to work initially. After an exhaustive search of all documentation to find a fix for my problem, I had to call Canon. The tech got me up and running in two minutes. Turns out I had ColorSync disabled. The scanner is great...NOW, but a more robust error message, or troubleshooting/FAQ file would have been appreciated. The scanner is very impressive for the size and money when scanning photos & documents, but if you try to scan anything other than a picture or document, the scans will be out of focus and dark for parts of the object not directly touching the glass, I guess because the bulb isn't very bright. I like the scanner, but it's not as good at scanning "objects" as the full-size UMAX scanner I owned previously.

I was seriously considering buying a different scanner when a salesperson convinced me to consider the Canon N650U. I was not relishing having to buy a new scanner since it had taken me a while to get to know and understand the functions and operations of my previous scanner, but it was not working reliably anymore so I had no choice. Am I ever glad I happen to get a salesperson who had personal knowledge of how great the Canon is. It installed easily, and is extremely easy to use. I have an HP DeskJet printer and the scanner and printer work together without a hitch. It is very compact - another plus when space is a factor. I would highly recommend this scanner

I just got my scanner a few days ago, and it's incredible. It's my second scanner, and by far the best I've ever used. The CanoScan is quick and simple to operate, and offers an amazing software suite that I've only begun to explore. I've done several old photos, both black and white and color, and printed them out. Even enlarged, the photos came out crystal clear.

If you're in the market for a consumer grade scanner, this is the one I'd recommend.

At first, i didnt' think canon would be such a good product in the computer industry. but that was before i bought this scanner. it did the job perfectly! the 42-bit color and 600x1200 resolution made the pictures looking great! it was easy to install, and i installed it on my win98se system. worked great. the ocr worked great too (omnipage pro 8.0). the pictures turned out so good that it even picked up the dust that fell on my pictures. for this price (retail is under $100) this is an excellent scanner to pick up.