[comp.sys.mac] New scanner from ThunderWare?

mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) (03/11/89)

Just heard about the new scanner from ThunderWare (maker of ThunderScan),
called something like LightningScan or LaserScan ... whatever.  They
advertised the thing on page 10 of the latest MacUser, I'm told.

This scanner is a hand-held model, much like the hand-held photocopiers
that came out a couple of years ago that you run across an original
yourself.  The scanner is four inches wide... but apparently the software
is intelligent enough to PUT TOGETHER STRIPS if you need to scan something
wider.

What I want to know is, has anyone SEEN the thing?  USED IT, maybe?  I'd
like some information on how good it is.  It costs in the $500+ range, I
think, and while that's more than twice the cost of the ThunderScan, it's
less than half most other scanners' costs.  Also, it's faster than the
ThunderScan -- you just run it across the page and you're done.

All of the above information is second-hand (third-hand, now!).  I haven't
seen any spec sheets, or even unsubstantiated claims!  

Anyone who's familiar with this new product, please tell me more about it!
Is it worth the money?  Should I part with my dear old ThunderScan?  :-)

Please E-MAIL responses.  I will summarize to the net if there is interest.


-- 
Mark H. Anbinder                                ** MHA@TCGould.tn.cornell.edu
NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept.             ** THCY@CRNLVAX5.BITNET
Cornell University      H: (607) 257-7587 ********
Ithaca, NY 14853        W: (607) 255-1566 ******* Ego ipse custodies custudio

moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) (03/12/89)

In article <7534@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) writes:
>What I want to know is, has anyone SEEN the thing?  USED IT, maybe?  I'd
>like some information on how good it is.  It costs in the $500+ range, I
>think, and while that's more than twice the cost of the ThunderScan, it's
>less than half most other scanners' costs.  Also, it's faster than the
>ThunderScan -- you just run it across the page and you're done.

A friend saw a demo of this at MacWorld; his comment was that it scanned
things nicely, but you had to move your hand v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y to get a
clear scan from it.  A very appealing product, though -- I've thought about
getting it myself...

                           "Artistic growth is, more than it is anything else,
                            a refining of the sense of truthfulness.  The
                            stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only
                            the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult
                            it is."
                                           -- Willa Cather
---
                                        Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
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mha@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder) (03/15/89)

In article <7534@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> I wrote:
>Just heard about the new scanner from ThunderWare (maker of ThunderScan),
>called something like LightningScan or LaserScan ... whatever.  They
>advertised the thing on page 10 of the latest MacUser, I'm told.
>
>This scanner is a hand-held model, much like the hand-held photocopiers
>that came out a couple of years ago that you run across an original
>yourself.  The scanner is four inches wide... but apparently the software
>is intelligent enough to PUT TOGETHER STRIPS if you need to scan something
>wider.

To my disappointment, the information I've gathered indicates that the
LightningScan CAN NOT put together strips of a wide image by itself.  You
can still do that in your own paint program just as you always could with
the ThunderScan.

One of my concerns is that I'd heard that this scanner (and the similar
ScanMan scanner) has trouble producing an image without distortion unless
you have a rock-solid hand and move the scanner firmly and evenly.  It
seems that the rollers on the LightningScan help you keep it on track, and
its software can accomodate a certain amount of variation in the speed at
which you drag it across the image.

I'm still collecting information, so if you've got more, please e-mail it!
I'll continue summarizing to the net.


-- 
Mark H. Anbinder                                ** MHA@TCGould.tn.cornell.edu
NG33 MVR Hall, Media Services Dept.             ** THCY@CRNLVAX5.BITNET
Cornell University      H: (607) 257-7587 ********
Ithaca, NY 14853        W: (607) 255-1566 ******* Ego ipse custodies custudio