Microtek 5950 ScanMaker Flatbed Scanner (Windows) | 
 enlarge | Brand: Microtek
Category: CE
Buy Used: $120.00
Rating:  28 reviews
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 13.9
Dimensions (in): 22 x 15 x 8
MPN: 1108-03-540011
Model: 1108-03-540011
UPC: 793111801016
EAN: 0793111801016
ASIN: B0000AC893
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 4,800 x 2,400 dpi optical resolution, true 48-bit color | | • | Scan up to legal-sized documents using the auto-document feeder | | • | 7 Smart-Touch buttons help automate everyday tasks | | • | High-speed USB 2.0 connectivity | | • | PC/Windows compatible, 1-year warranty |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
MICROTEK 110803540011 SCANMAKER 5950 FLATBED SCANNER WITH INTEGR
Amazon.com Product Description
The Microtek ScanMaker 5950 offers a great solution for PC users looking for quality scanning at a value price, suited to home or small office use. The ScanMaker 5950 gives you a choice between standard flatbed operation (originals up to 8.5 by 11.7 inches) and using the included auto-document feeder, which permits unattended document scanning (up to 8.5 by 14 inches). The scanner achieves true 48-bit color at up to 4,800 x 2,400 optical resolution. The ScanMaker 5950 offers fast USB 2.0 connectivity as well as seven Smart-Touch buttons that help to automate most everyday tasks. It comes with a generous bundle of software, and a very helpful step-by-step scanning guide for beginners. What's in the Box
ScanMaker 5950 scanner, power adapter, Microtek software CD, Adobe software CD, USB 2.0 cable, step-by-step scanning guide, ADF-651 (automatic document feeder)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 23 more reviews...
 Don't buy this scanner February 6, 2007
Mrs. J. Rogers (NY USA & UK)
There are paper jams, slow scanning, no scanning at all, difficulties learning how to use and set up the scanner. Sometimes it doesn't scan at all and then 10 mins later you get half a black page. No help downloading new drivers from Microtek's website. No help from the help desk. No advice online from anyone else. I feel like throwing it out of the window.
Fair for documents, poor for photos September 14, 2006
BobLLL
This scanner does a fair job of scanning with the sheet feeder, but is miserable to use for photographs. The software claims (like most scanner software) that it will automatically detect the type of scan (document or photo) and automatically find the edges of the scanned item. It doesn't work. Each scan, the user must go through a tedious process of moving some dotted lines in the scan window from the edge of the screen to somewhere near the edges of the photograph, and clicking a couple buttons to set the resolution. These settings will not be saved for the next scan. With the sheet feeder and individual sheets of paper, this is less of a problem, but the software is clumsy to use, and the process is quite slow. The computer cannot be used for anything else while the scanner slowly grinds through a stack of paper. The sheet feeder cannot be used for photographs, so you need a rainy weekend to scan very many photos.
I surfed over to Microtech support's web page and discovered the drivers shipped with the unit were more than two years old. I downloaded and installed new drivers, but the problem remained. I emailed support. They suggested my download must have been "corrupted" somehow and suggested rebooting in safe mode and downloading and installing again. Believe me, this is time-consuming. And it didn't fix the problem. I emailed support a screen image of exactly what the problem looks like on my screen. Their reply showed they apparently have never seen or used the product they are trying to support. Here is what they said: "After reviewing the image you sent us, we concluded that this is not something that you can get around. The software is still detecting something on the far edges of the scanner bed (the rolers) [sic] because it shows up as an image on the scanner bed. There is no way to get around this. You will have to manually adjust the marquee to border the image you are scanning." So it seems Microtek never tested this scanner with scans of photos, and never learned that the scanner "sees" the sheetfeeder rollers as part of the image to be scanned. Or more likely, they just don't care about quality control.
I don't appreciate a manufacturer telling me what I "have to do" in order to overcome defects in their product. Fortunately, I bought this poor excuse for a scanner from a retailer that accepts returns.
 NOT a Photo Scanner as described, barely works normally August 29, 2006
Brian Bulrice (Redondo Beach, CA USA)
As this was listed in the category of Photo Scanner and having the ADF option I was amazed at the poor quality of the scans it produced, and forget puttzing around the feeble software provided, it is a mere hodgepodge of optional settings that are more or less useless. This poor excuse for a plain scanner is functionally just a example of third-world country technology getting it's foot in the door with this piece of garbage. I mean the scanner lid backing doesn't even have a white matte background, just the back of the lid of the document feeder which is black, not white, no white balance right!!, so it right off the bat is manufactured with no bearing on image quality..so right there tells you the whole scan is going to be off balance due to the unven background.
The document feeder is pure EVIL....BEWARE, chews up your favorite photos, not all, only your FAVORITES!! And documents, huh huh...oh geez. It will make you waste hours trying to figure out why it works so bad, there is no solution other than RETURN IT!!....I think this plastic monstrosity is Christine incarnate come back to screw us over big time....A JOke AVOID>>>>>BEWARE RUN BACK TO THE STORE NOW AND RETURN>>>>>
Thank you and have a better 3 days than I have had
AVOID! May 8, 2005
F. Moeller (Arlington, VA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I bought this scanner thinking "what a deal, a scanner with a document feeder for under $140." The deal's too good to be true.
Yes, it worked out of the box and yes it scans as expected on the flat bed. Except, of course, if you scan smaller than letter paper size images - it shows the document feeder's ugly underbelly around the images and doesn't come with a replacement lid if you remove the feeder.
As for document feeder, this is where the nightmares begin.
SCANS HAVE STREAKS DOWN THE PAGE
This thing causes streaks lines (color or B&W) down the length of your scanned images. Not all the time, just on some batches. After scanning 50 documents (and using the OCR software (it doesn't make a difference to the streaking whether you do or not, OCR software (included) reads and translates text in the scans to readable files), you may or may not find streaks on the final output pages. This is enfuriating after waiting half an hour to scan and process images. Don't read too much into 5 pages per minute, unless you want to scan at very, very basic levels.
JAMS
The feeder jams fairly easily and removing the crumples paper can result in the destruction of that sheet. Make sure all staples are removed, and if the paper has been folded (usually around a staple - when you turn over a page) beware - I took to putting pages in backwards and reversing the final image.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
With free long distance these days, the call to California isn't a problem. Just make sure you only have a problem during office hours.
Maybe all document scanners are like this, but after 6 weeks of use, my images streak 85% of the time, resulting in hours wasted refeeding, reinstallign drivers etc. and endless frustration. Pay more for something else if time is a factor.
I have tried the scanner with a Sony Vaio laptop, top of the line Compaq Presario x1000 Laptop, and currently on a fully loaded Desktop PC with 1 GB SDRAM and a 2.8 Processor. I have installed the included software and drivers on multiple occassions, consulted the Microtek support site, downloaded drivers etc. No difference.
I have wasted hours, hours, and hours in this piece of crap December 2, 2004
L Jones
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
The machine is one problem after another.
The machine was working, more or less, mostly less. Just a few minutes ago, the ScanWizard started telling me that it had insufficient memory to start. I rebooted, closed everything down, and it still says insufficient memory. My machine as 512 Meg of memory. It says this whether I start it through Kodak Imaging or directly. It does this repeatedly. Numerous months old postings say the same thing but Microtek obviously hasn't done anything to fix this particular problem.
I need to copy a document for a client and now I have no way to do it.
It claims 5 pages per minute but I have seldom got more than 3 or 4 pages without it misfeeding a page and jamming. Maybe 3 or 4 times it would feed a stack properly.
The driver takes forever to load.
If I scan directly through the Wizard, my tif documents don't get compressed and I get one page black and white pages at over 1 Meg.
If I scan through Kodak Imaging for Windows, I can get compressed documents down to 100 K per page but then everytime you do a scan it seems like the driver has to load completely again from scratch and take forever.
The driver software dialog boxes work mouse only, no keyboard shortkeys.
I have yet to get a response to any of my numerous email support requests. The manufacturer doesn't seem to have any concept of customer support. I haven't found any support anywhere for the ScanWizard software.
I don't understand why a manufacturer spends time and money on a program putting in bells and whistles most people don't need but then doesn't debug it enough to make sure that it will start.
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