Hardware Quick-take Reviews * New Astra Scanner * Full Wacom Tablet Line Now USB * Excellent Mouse Pad * Fabulous New Lighting System For Product Photography

NEW ASTRA SCANNER I was very impressed with the new UMAX Astra 2400S SCSI scanner. It is 36 bit, and has UMAX's Bit Enhancement technology which produces a dynamic range that resembles the results from 42 bit scanner. ... It is 600 x 24 dpi optical resolution, the bed is 8.5 x 14 inches. As with all the UMAX scanners the color and sharpness are outstanding. ... It ships with a PCI SCSI card for Windows computers. (The card does not work with Macs that lack a SCSI connection.) ... There is a very impressive bundle of software on the enclosed CD, that includes graphics and OCR programs. The one drawback of the 2400S is that it is about 2 1/2 inches longer, an inch wider, and is higher than ASTRA models such as the 1200S The price is under $300. FULL WACOM TABLET LINE NOW USB All the Wacom Intuios tablets are now available in USB, with drivers for both Mac and Windows: ... The tablets come in sizes with active areas of 4 x 5 inches, 6 x 8 inches, 9 x 12 inches, 12 x 12 inches, and 18 x 20 inches, with the most popular size with graphics arts people being 6 x 8 inches. ... People who do CAD usually prefer the larger tablets. There is a variety of input devices to go with the tablets: Intuos Pen, Intuos 4D Mouse, and the Intuios Airbrush which has pressure and tilt sensitivity and a thumb wheel. ... All tablets ship with the Pen, the larger tablets also ship with a 4D Mouse. ... The Intuos Tablets have extensive capabilities that graphics programs are incorporating more and more into their software. Any professional still using an older model Wacom tablet, will find it well worth while to move up to an Intuos if only for the ergometric design of the Pen. www.wacom.com EXCELLENT MOUSE PAD The 3M Precise Mousing System mouse pads are perfect for putting on top of your Wacom tablet for the times you are using a regular mouse, rather than one of the Wacom input devices. ... The 3M mouse pad is very thin, with a perfectly textured surface, and a comfortable shape. ... The 3M mouse pad comes in several colors, the most inconspicuous of which is gray with a misty mountain pattern. The 3M pads cost about $8. Next: Fabulous New Lighting System for Product Photography

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