Canon CanoScan N656U USB Flatbed Scanner

by Canon

Product Details

• Item Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004Y66U
• Item model number: N656U
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #98 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Printers & Scanners > Flatbed Scanners
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Canon CanoScan N656U USB flatbed scanner scans as great as it looks. Housed in a high-tech metallic finish, this ultra-slim, 1-inch-high desktop scanner is ready to go anywhere. Simply connect the combined USB and power cable to either a Macintosh or PC, and you're done. Nothing else is required. No separate power cords or transformers.

Push one single button and you can scan photos, articles, or drawings at 600 x 1,200 dpi. With 42-bit color capabilities, this scanner treats you to more than 4 trillion possible colors for sharp and vibrant images.

Canon's exclusive Z-Lid expansion top means you can scan bulky objects such as books and magazines. The Z-Lid has a special expansion hinge so you can lift it vertically, rather than at an angle as with other scanners. The result is that your object can rest completely flat on the surface.

Special software for this scanner, provided by Canon, helps you optimize your photos, manipulate images, and integrate text and graphics into your creations.

The N656U weighs only 3.3 pounds and measures 10.2 by 14.7 by 1.3 inches. It comes with a one-year limited warranty and the Canon Extended Service Plan. --Linda Anderson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My first scanner and so far, very pleased with it, July 8, 2001

By 

pm444 "pm444" (Okemos, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon CanoScan N656U USB Flatbed Scanner (Office Product)

I've been putting off getting a scanner because they seem to be one of the most problematic peripherals that one can attach to a PC. .... I ordered the CanoScan 656, and so far, have been very happy with the results.

First, setup on my 1 Ghz P-III running WinME was fast and easy. The supplied software is not bad, though if you already have a good image editor like PaintShopPro you might want to use that for acquiring and editing your scans. I have had a few unexplained software crashes, but nothing (so far) that would make me dissatisfied with the scanner. If the problems continue, I will switch to PSP or MS Picture It for acquiring my scans, but if you don't have alternate software, be aware that there could be difficulties with what comes in the box.

The USB cable fits the PC fine, but the plug into the scanner is not very secure, so you have to be careful to not let it get inadvertently bumped out of place (I read in a review of a similar Canon scanner that the owner pushed the back of the scanner up against the wall to keep the plug from sliding out). It's great to not have to fool around with the parallel port, and even better to have the scanner powered via the USB connection.

I'm only giving it 4 stars due to the loose plug and the software, but the quality of the scans is excellent, at least for my purposes. My first scan was a small wallet-sized picture, and at output of 200 dpi, I got a great image that I was able to enlarge to 5x7 and looked even sharper than the original. I also have scanned several full-page photos from magazines.... and got a warning from the software that I needed to make an adjustment or I'd get distortion. I ignored the warning and sure enough, got the predicted distortion. Second time, I made the recommended change and got outstanding results. So the software does have some redeeming features.

For ease of use (regardless of what software you end up using), nice sleek thin case, and great price, I'm very pleased with my first scanner and would recommend it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice scanner to use on the road, January 22, 2001

By 

Startide Rising (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canon CanoScan N656U USB Flatbed Scanner (Office Product)

Although this scanner uses lower-cost CIS instead of CCD sensors, its output quality is very good. Where it lacks a little is in the dynamic colour range; for greyscale and B/W, I cannot tell the difference from consumer-grade CCD units. I like its thinness, and to Canon's credit, the bottom of the scanner is also fairly smooth so that it won't snag on anything when you insert it into your briefcase. Yes, it has a small footprint in addition to being thin. One nitpick I have is that it sometimes draws so much current when it is first connected (large inrush current), that it may turn off the hub because has a large initial current draw (I use Belkin and other brand hubs, and all have the occasional effect). Because of this, I usually plug it into a separate hub of its own, so that if that hub goes down, I can reset it easily without affecting any other USB devices. Only twice so far has the N656U surprised me when it triggered the laptop's USB current protection when I plugged it into the laptop directly without using a powered hub to isolate it from the laptop.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect scanner, January 10, 2001

By 

J. Vail "Automation Appreciator" (Elk Grove, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canon CanoScan N656U USB Flatbed Scanner (Office Product)

Setup was a breeze on Windows ME. The USB works flawlessly. I can move it around between the USB port on the back of my PC and my powered hub and it is always recognized and ready to go. It's a pleasure to use. The twain drivers work great from all of the applications I have tried.