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
With its high-tech metallic finish and sleek new styling, the N656U CanoScan USB Flatbed Scanner - at just over one inch high - looks incredible on any desktop. But great looks are just the beginning, since this scanner was also designed for exceptional performance as well. High-quality scans now come at a truly great price.This scanner makes scanning simple. Connect the single USB/power cable to any compatible Mac or PC and you're ready to go. No separate power cord or bulky transformers are necessary. Push the convenient external scan button and scan photos, graphics, articles and more at a spectacular 600 x 1200 dpi. The scanner's 42-bit color capabilities give you a spectrum of more than four trillion possible colors for richer, more robust scans. And the software included helps you take advantage of it all, whether you want to optimize photos, manipulate images or simply integrate text or graphics into your projects. Canon's exclusive Z-Lid Expansion Top will change the way you scan bulky items, such as books and magazines. Many other scanner covers lift only at an angle and become uneven and awkward when scanning anything that isn't completely flat. The scanner's cover includes a special expansion hinge that lifts up to one inch vertically, allowing the lid to lie flat, creating the space needed for bulky items.
1 Great starter OCR scanner
I got one of these for Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
Setup was easy, but the scans are a bit slow. It does a good job of scanning photos for me.
The OCR output is about 93%+ for most documents. Books with tight bindings are sometimes difficult to scan accurately, but I haven't found any thing that does a better job in these situations. The image quality is very good, so it is generally easy to make out the correct 'reading' when the OCR can't make out the source. The OmniPage OCR is perfect for my purposes.
2 Slow. But cheap.
Those looking for an inexpensive but versatile light-duty scanner need look no further than this CanonScan N650U device.
Some time back, I had been looking for just such a scanner for "occasional" use, and comparisons among those available were easily narrowed down to this unit.
The CanonScan 650U is a "universal" (PC/Mac) device using the now-ubiquitous USB interface. The bundled software (on CD-ROM) is easily installed, and provides a great deal of flexibility to how the scanner is used, the image-file formats in which scanned images may be saved, and the color (or gray scale) depth, resolution and sharpness of scanned images. The menu-driven features are largely intuitive for anyone not a total "newbie" to scanners, but the bundled software also includes very detailed and comprehensive documentation (in the form of Adobe Acrobat pdf files).
Results, in the form of scanned (and printable and/or transmittable) images, are superb, with excellent detail and resolution and accurate rendering of tonal and color scales. The design of the cover, with its clever "Z" hinge, permits scanning of pages of fairly thick books, if need be. A button on the front of the scanner, when pressed, will automatically launch the program so that a scan (or a "preview") can be made; alternatively, the program can be launched manually using a desktop alias or shortcut.
The image-manipulation menu allows for a very wide degree of control over how the scanned image can be "finalized." Tonal and color scales and image contrast can be extended or compressed, or distorted for special effects. Sharpness (separate from choice of resolution, in pixels) can be enhanced by degrees, or even thoroughly "customized." (A mild word of caution for those using these enhancement features when scanning half-tone images: It IS possible to create Moire patterns [fringing] if some of these adjustments are overdone. Some practice may be required, and then the best results saved as a template for future use.)
I wouldn't necessarily characterize the CanonScan 650U as a "frequent-duty" scanner. It is likely to be too slow for professional use. It is hardly as quick as a photocopier. But, if you, like me, need such a device only for occasional use and moreover need the image-manipulation capabilities that only a full-featured software program can provide, I can recommend this unit highly. It is very inexpensive for what it does and for the features it provides.
All of the above is provided in the context of Macintosh installation and use. Results for PC platform use should be expected to be the same, but installation and access and use of the features may differ slightly. I suggest that PC users interested in the CanonScan 650U read other reviews on this product page for a sense of what PC users have to say about this scanner.
Bob Zeidler
3 fashion meets function
this is a great product. I use it with my PowerMac G4. It's not the fastest scanner but if you're not a professional in the graphic arts, this one is great. It's such a nice change from those bulky, gray monsters so commonly found in the consumer scanner market. It's powered by the USB cable itself so there's no need for the bulky power supply.
4 Great product
It scans very good. The colors look correct and match what I scan. The speed it quite acceptable to me. It runs on a single usb cable with no other power going to it wich makes it great for hooking to a laptop. It is very light. I have not done this, but I could very easily unplug it and take it to work with me if I wanted to.
I am very happy with it.
5 Great little scanner
Installation was no biggie for me even tho I'm still a beginner at this whole thing....My pictures are looking good....still have a couple of questions re: speed of the process and ability to crop my work. (...) I'm having such a great time with this little machine! Thanks!!
6 Been using for over a year and still love it.
I love it even after a year of use. I did have a few initial problems with software installation but I love the Arcsoft photo studio. I use it for editing my scanned photo's and I am very pleased with the results. I even managed to scan a very old photo (sepia) that my daughter had drawn on. I edited it with the Arcsoft program and you can't tell it was ever damaged. The results are fast and quality. The usb plug in is also a dream come true. I had no more plugs left behind my computer and my strips were full.
7 My first scanner, and I love it! Great for personal use!
After much searching throughout the internet, I finally bought this wonderful scanner here at amazon.com. While I have used scanners before, this one truly blew me away. First of all, you cannot help but noticing the size. I live in a dorm at a university and it was the perfect size! It's only 1.3 inches thick. The USB power supply is also great for small spaces.
The photo editing software is also nice. I took a scenic picture from my last trip to Peru and made it into a nice work of "art" with the oil painting feature in PhotoStudio 2000.
This scanner is incredibly easy to install and use. Just press the purple button and go.
I have a 300 Mhz. computer and I do not have any complaints about the speed of the scanner and the software. It'll scan a good quality picture in no time!
And at the now reduced price (...), it's a great deal!
8 Plus and minuses
I had difficulty setting up my scanner and had to call technical assistance three times at my own expense (no 800 number), but I finally got it set up with the help of cordial, patient technicians. The main thing I don't like about the scanner is that to copy text to my Microsoft Word, I have to go through several steps to convert the text. It would so much simpler if I could scan it directly. Also, the directions for use are on the enclosed disk. I would prefer a manual. I love the quality of the pictures. Excellent. Also the price was very affordable. I also like the small size and light weight of the scanner. I have no regrets on this purchase.
9 My first scanner and so far, very pleased with it
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.
10 USB Power Troubles
I got the NanoScan N656U Scanner thinking that it was the way to go. Not having to worry about another power cord to keep track of and to find a open power socket to plug into. But after installing it on my eMachine that has Windows Me on it, I was able to get it to preview, but when I tried to scan even on the lowest dpi setting of 75 dpi it would freez up the scanning TWAIN program giving me a errar with a code 30e (I think). I was not sure if it was the eMachine or Windows Me which I have grown to hate both for their cheap parts and constant bugs. I called Canon who was helpful. The 30e code means that the scanner is not getting enough power to complete the scan. At the Canon's personale's advice, I tried it on another computer. I found I could scan at up to 180 dpi with the USB cord provided, I got worse resaults with another USB given with another type of hardware, but I did get better results with a brand name USB cord getting up to 300 dpi scans completed successfully. Canon did suggested that if the problem continued that I could contact them again to get a free replacement or other approvable action. I decided to send it back and got a Visioneer 8???? scanner with USB and two parralel ports and a power cord for around [price] and have had no problems.
11 Correction
This is one of the best scanners I have ever used...Altho it does not come with PhotoShop 5.0 LE....Only the 1220u comes with the LE cd...
12 The most user unfriendly software--
I have an HP ScanJet 3300C and love it. It works well and is so much fun to use. I went to buy it for my sister and ended up with the Canon CanoScan. Set up was a breeze, not needing an outlet was great but, I thought I was going to throw the scanner out the window. It had the most user unfriendly and ridiculous software I've ever used. Because of this, whether or not the rank of the quality, I truly disliked this scanner and promptly returned it. I do not see what other reviewers see in this scanner.
13 Nice scanner, but a little more expensive than HP.
I actually own the HP ScanJet, but this is a close second. They essentially scan at the same speed and resolution, but this one is a bit thinner than the HP ScanJet. But for that privelege you have to pay an extra $30. Other than that, they are the same - speed, resolution, USB conncetion.
Go take a look at the "Hewlett Packard C7682A ScanJet 3300Cse Scanner" for $79. You and your wallet will be glad you did.
14 Second Scanner I've owned, I LOVE IT!!
My first scanner was 5 years old, a UMAX 610?, a loud, bulky, scanner...but it got the job done until it started messing up.
Cannon's scanner that I bought a week ago is slim, SOO QUIET, & feature packed for my needs.
I put in the CD, connected the USB cable (NO POWER CORD NEEDED!!) & my 2 yr old PII 400 mhz Laptop running Win98 found it & loaded everything quickly & easily.
Highly recommended!!!
15 A nice scanner to use on the road
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.
16 Sleek, Compact Size Scanner
I did not know much about scanners nor what to look for. One thing I had in mind was the size. I came across several different types of scanner. Bulky, and poor constructed scanners were all I have encounterd. The Canon was in a class by itself. It features a very slim look and compactness. The printing quailty was superb. It includes serveral programs for all types of users. I, for one, do not know much about scanners, but I do know this Canon prints out great 4X7 prints. With a HP 812C deskjet printer[...] I can not complaint.
17 A perfect scanner
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.
