If you’re searching for a scanner for your home or small business, the HP 5370C offers quality, many desirable features, and an affordable price. Here are some of its advantages and features:
Setup is quick and simple. Insert the USB plug into your computer, install the software, and you’re ready to scan. If you have an older computer without USB ports, a connection is made through the parallel port.
The 5370C can be used on both PC and Mac platforms if both have USB ports. If you use both systems, it’s possible to quickly move the scanner from one to the other by transferring the USB plug.
The scanner software quickly integrates into existing imaging applications such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. The scanner is Twain compliant so a single click activates the scan.
Maximum resolution of the 5370C is 1, 200 dpi, far more than you’ll need for most projects, especially if you tend to use your scans for computer or Internet applications.
A transparency adaptor is included. This feature permits scanning of 35mm slides and sheet film transparencies. But, more importantly, it provides a way to scan directly from negatives. If you have a lost or damaged print or, the lab did a poor job of printing your photo, it’s possible use the negative to obtain a perfect exposure with all of the imaging software tools at your disposal.
The scanner automatically transfers into sleep mode after 15-minutes of inactivity. This feature greatly extends the life of lamps in the unit.
Four buttons on the front edge of the unit quickly activate scanning, copying, and scanning to e-mail or fax functions.
There are a couple of small negative features I should mention.
Lamp warmup time is annoying, requiring 60-seconds or more each time the scanner is activated out of its sleep mode. This delay has its own advantages, however. Slow warmup extends lamp life and insures that a proper color temperature is reached before scanning begins.
The unit’s four activator buttons on the front of the unit should be recessed. On a busy desk top, it’s easy to bump or push books or files against the buttons. Doing so is harmless but having scanning software appear while working on other projects is disconcerting.
Overall, I highly recommend the HP 5370C. Its quality can’t compete with drum scanners used by printers and production houses but its cost is a fraction of those professional units. It’s an excellent value and a good choice for users who require flexibility and high quality.