Customer Reviews

Canon CanoScan N1220U Scanner

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This scanner is very definitely a five star item. We tried out many scanners. Some came with software that was difficult, or confusing in instructing the operator to use.If time is any consideration some seemed to poke along.Some were quick but the images produced were not always clear. Some scanners were noisy. Some bulky. This little baby is thin, sleek,easily portable,quick, and the 42 bit gives one excellent reproduction. If one has a digital camera, I think that is an especially important consideration.

This scanner is absolutely unbelievable. When it came out of the box, I was surprised to see that it really is just slightly larger than a pad of paper. Following the very simple directions, I plugged it into my USB port, ran the included software CD, and that was it - I was up and scanning in maybe 10 minutes!

The scans themselves look terrific, even at 75 dpi. When I scanned one picture at the maximum resolution (1,200 x 2,400 dpi) just to see what it would look like, it almost came out too well - it picked up my fingerprint and an eyelash on the glass!

With limited space on the computer desk, I especially like the stand that comes with this scanner, allowing you to store (and to actually scan with) the unit on its side, like a thin paperback book on your shelf. The software that comes with it is excellent as well - it includes Adobe Photoshop 5.0 Limited Edition, Omni Page Pro (for optical character recognition, to turn your scanned documents into text files for use in your word processor), and Photo Studio. All work seamlessly with the scanner, popping up automatically just when you need them.

Other great features about this scanner include the fact that it does not need its own power source (it gets its power from the USB plug), and that the lid is hinged in such a way as to allow you to scan thicker objects and books. The price is terrific too, being a good bit lower than that of many other bulky scanners offering much less resolution.

A few days ago I did have to call the Canon Customer Service number once, at midnight (I was surprised to hear a real human answer the phone). A nice Customer Service rep helped me very quickly. He didn't even laugh when I discovered that my problem was that I had accidentally knocked loose the USB plug connecting the scanner to the computer! (Uh, must've been the cat....) :)

It is a very nice surprise in this day and age when you feel that you actually get more than you pay for. Thank you Canon!

I just got this scanner a few hours ago and have scanned several images since I got it out of the box. I just had to stop scanning and write a review.

First of all, I was surprised when I saw the box, the box which the Canon N1220U arrived in is smaller then the Canon scanner I replaced. The only reason I replaced the other Canon scanner is because I purchased a new computer and the older scanner wouldn't connect to my new computer. This scanner is small, hardly no larger than the scanning area (8.5" x 11.7"). It is also thin (about an inch and a quarter high) and looks quite nice next to the new G4 PowerMac. It really makes the older scanner look like a dinosaur and the older scanner is just a little more than a year old.

Secondly, this scanner was so easy to set up, it virtually did it itself. All I had to do was to plug in the USB cable while the computer was on, there is no power cord to plug in, the power is actually supplied by the USB cable. Then I had to insert the CD which contained the set up software and click a few buttons, that was it.

I was off and scanning in no time, maybe ten minutes tops. The first scan took a little extra time because the scanner had to calibrate itself, but it only does this once and you can re-calibrate the scanner anytime you want to. The scanner is quite fast, faster than the one I replaced.

The software supplied to operate the scanner is fairly easy to use and understand. The scans turn out great, better than the original image it seems. I did have to adjust the way I place the image on the flatbed, the image should be placed upside down not rightside up. My first scan came out upside down.

To sum up, the scanner looks great, doesn't take up much space on the desk, doesn't add to my power cord clutter behind my desk, it is pretty fast, easy to set up and use, and comes with useful third party software: PhotoShop 5.0 LE ( I use this program often), ArcSoft Photo Studio, ArcSoft PhotoBase, and ScanSoft Omni Page.

I would recommend this scanner, even to my best friends.

Hi folks This is my first scanner, and I found it excellent in every way. First, the installation was very fast and easy. I have Windows Me, and unlike some others have suggested, it loaded successfully on the first attempt. There are different installation instructions for Me than there are for older versions -- make sure you follow the right set.

Jumping right in and scanning right away was absolutely easy. Use is very intuitive. Both the scanner's software and then the photo editing software open themselves up at the appropriate times. The photo editing software is PhotoStudio, which works a lot like Adobe PhotoShop. PhotoShop is ALSO included, by the way, but I find PhotoStudio totally sufficient for my needs.

Another feature that I LOVE is that the scanner requires NO POWER SOURCE OF ITS OWN! If you are like me, you will welcome the fact that there is but one cord coming out of this scanner -- the USB cord which runs for the scanner to your PC. This makes for a tidier desk, and also I personally have no spare space in my power strip.

The quality of the scans is wonderful. I am not an expert on the subject, but the scans look just as good as those I've made on scanners at Kinko's.

I highly recommend this unit. Wonderful in every way.

I can't say enough good things about this scanner. I received it today and had it out of the box and scanning within ten minutes. Setup is so easy--there's only one cord (USB) for both power and connecting to the PC so you don't even need to find an extra outlet to plug it into. It's very small and cool looking, and even comes with a stand so you can place it on its side if you want. It's got a nice package of software included. I like the "one-touch" scanning--you push the button on the scanner then click whether you want to make a copy, e-mail it, fax-it, or save it. I tried making a copy and it came out great. The OCR of the included software works wonderfully.

Only dislike--it comes with a quick-start guide but no real user manual for the software. I hate reading on-line help files and a user manual would be nice.

This is really cool scanner, it's everything the reviews say about it. Unfortunately I use scanners to scan really small objects. This scanner has a small depth of focus. At 1200 DPI it's focus was even out on a slightly wrinkled twenty dollar bill. The scanner just does not focus on objects. On my old HP Scanjet 4P, and my new HP ScanJet 5300C objects are in perfect focus. Also at 1200 DPI, the picture was a little misaligned. If you can spare the desk space, the HP ScanJet 5300C is a much better scanner.

WOW!!

That's the reaction you will get with this sleek designed and ridiculously easy to use scanner. After all connected up, you might even ponder "that's it?"

Yep! A single USB cable carries both power and data to your computer. But wait, good news doesn't just end here. This scanner delivers 1200x2400 scanning resolution, which guarantees your scanned digital image will look as well as, or even better than the real picture! This specification alone will cost you arms and legs with other scanner. Software bundle? Even more good news to follow. ArcSoft's Photostudio2000 has the look, feel and power of professional image editor, like THE Adobe Photoshop. Yet, it is FREE to you. The Omni Page, the authority figure in OCR business (converting your paper documents to digital edible documents) is included as well.

Moreover, this scanner supports both Mac and PC with various versions of Windows, even Windows 2000!

If you want to scan more than just picture, like an object up to 1 inch tall. This scanner has a unique feature to nicely accommodate that! Since I am not going to spill the beans, you will just have to find it out yourself...

What else would you want from a scanner? This little monster does everything that I need a scanner to do for me, be it scanning lowres graphics for websites to high resolution color scans for print media.

The windows utilities are adequate, although I do not use them much as I use Photoshop and/or Fireworks for my scanning and editing. The scanner TWAIN driver's GUI is nice, in default mode it presents options for the novice to achieve clean good quality images, while in advanced/expert mode, it allows fine tuning of all the expected settings (hue, color, brightness, contrast) that you want.

I agree with the other reviewers that one of the best non-technical things about this scanner is its lack of a powercord. For those who, like me, have a number of computers at their desk, various peripherals, and etc., having one less tenticle extruding from the electrical outlet is a GREAT thing. Additionally, the scanner's design is beautiful, sleek and as sexy as a scanner can be :)

I have owned many scanners over the years (SCSI, Parallel, and USB) and this one is my favorite of them all.

The only gripe I can think of is that at this time, there is no LINUX support for this scanner, but this will change (I assume) now that the 2.4 kernel is out and USB is fully supported :)

I found the cannon N1220U fun to work with work --- that is if I could get it to work. The graphics is very clear. I love the 1200 x2400 dpi clarity. However, I'm having trouble with the USB controller, I have a standard Intel 82801AB USB Universal Host Controller. When I called Cannon Tech Support--the tech support I talked to referred me back to HP (currently I have an HP computer). HP explained that cannon should provide the updated USB controller through the web site. I went to the web site--which was written in Japanese, which I was not able to access.

The reason I am writing this review is because despite the fact that I have found the cannon scanner a quality product--the consumer will not be able to take advantage because of the limited support they provide through technical support, as well as the web site. I feel that if a company releases a new product, new drivers should be included to enable compatibility with the user's computer.

Overall, I give the cannon a rating of 3-mostly due to the fact that the service support provided in my experience was not as good as the product. I feel that both product quality and technical support should be considered when reviewing scanners or any other peripheral device. For future buyers out there, if your computer is slightly outdated, my advice is to be sure that the device you buy is compatible and if a new driver can be access via the web site. Otherwise, be ready for a big headache or just return the product.

I just purchased this scanner and it exceeds my expectaions. Comes with a great software bundle, compact and dependable. I saw this scanner on sale at Circuit City for 199.99 and i was surprised to see it here for 156. If you need a scanner hurry up and get this one before it is sold out.