A lot of new devices coming into the market today are USB 2.0 enabled. The only difference between USB 2.0 and USB 1.0 is in data transfer speeds; with USB 2.0 doing 480 Mbps as against the 12 Mbps of USB 1.0.
The BenQ 7400U is a USB 2.0 enabled high-end SOHO scanner that can scan transparencies and negatives with a claimed optical scan resolution of 2400 dpi. The last USB 2.0 scanner we saw was the HP Scanjet 2300c, but it was a 600 dpi scanner and could not scan transparencies. The BenQ 7400U is impressively packaged with a five-port USB 2.0 card, driver and Mira scan CD, USB cable, transparency and film adapters and whole lot of useful and well-written instructions.
The scanning unit has a few quick access buttons in the front that help you scan things quickly without going through the software, which is really nice. It isn't much to look at, all white with a detachable blue document holder on the top. The document holder is quite a practical and useful feature, as it doesn't take up any desk space. To scan transparency and film, the black box inside the cover has to be detached, revealing a backlit part which is required for scanning transparencies. Unfortunately the adapter has no way of fixing or wedging itself onto the scanner and has to be manually placed to precision.
We thought this was pretty much a well equipped package and sounded like a good scanner, until we tested the scanner. The scanned images were rather dark and lifeless. But the problem that took the cake was that it couldn't do 2400 dpi optical scans. Yes, the maximum optical resolution on the box is a lie
at 2400 dpi the scanned images are blurred and unclear. The images are clear only when they are scanned at 1200 dpi, so we did the entire test at this resolution. Though even at this scan resolution the scans had quite a few artefacts that were not supposed to be there. Another drawback was that the colour green was pronounced in all the scans, bleeding out of the image, even in the transparency scans.
In the end it doesn't even matter
For a scanner claiming to scan at 2400 dpi and actually providing a scan resolution of 1200 dpi, the BenQ 7400U isn't worth its price. Even with the USB 2.0 card Rs.16, 000 is way too much, too much even for a 1200 dpi scanner with five more USB 2.0 cards. The scanner is certainly not recommended and its better you look for something else.
Test Unit Sourced From: BenQ India Pvt. Ltd.
USB 2.0 scanner, USB 2.0 card provided
Expensive, Bad quality scans, isn�t a 2400 dpi scanner, Vanilla looks
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