Scanners4CAD eMagazine - February / March 2007

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FREE TICKETS: See The WideTEK 36 for FREE at CeBIT.
INTERVIEW: Thomas Ingendoh, Image Access GmbH.
HOT NEWS: New scanner player in the market - the WideTEK 36.
APPLE MACS: Affordable A0 scanning with the WideTEK 36.
WHITE PAPER: At last, some honesty about large format scanners!
NEW PRODUCT: Colortrac release their lowest priced large format scanner yet!
REVIEW: Desktop Engineering test Calcomp's ScanPlus with Scan2CAD.
REVIEW: AEC magazine reviews HP DesignJet 4500 scan and print solution.
VISTA: WOW - Vista runs CAD up to 50 times slower!
USER STORY: Filing Plus invest in SmartLF 4080 from Softcover.

26th February 2007

FREE TICKETS: See The WideTEK 36 for FREE at CeBIT

CeBIT is the world's largest trade fair showcasing IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. CeBIT 2007 sees the launch of the WideTEK 36 large format A0 scanner from Image Access, (Hall 1, A40).

Image Access have given Scanners4CAD a limited number of complimentary Kombi-Tickets to CeBIT 2007 (Hanover, Germany, 15-21 March 2007) for UK residents eager to see the new, operating system independent, networkable WideTEK 36 at the show.

If you want to go to Germany to visit CeBIT and see the WideTEK 36, please contact us. Tickets are available free to the first UK CAD users or scanner resellers to request them.

Free Entry, Free Local Travel
Should you want to travel to CeBIT call us for your complimentary Kombi-Ticket (combined show and local travel ticket). The ticket gives free access to CeBIT and is valid for transit on GVH buses, trams and trains (2nd Class only) in the Greater Hannover Region.

The cost of a ticket is normally EURO 33 (advance sales) or EURO 38 at the ticket counter.

Terms and Conditions
In applying for a ticket you confirm the following:

you have a genuine interest in large format scanners,
you will provide Scanners4CAD with your full contact details,
you will make your way to Hannover at your own expense,
you will endeavour to get a demo of the WideTEK 36 on booth A40,
you will not sell the ticket,
you will tick the date of use on the ticket before boarding public transport.

Please phone Scanners4CAD on (01223) 42 43 42 to reserve your ticket.

For details on CeBIT, see: www.cebit.de

Have a safe journey and enjoy the show! Image Access are in Hall 1, Booth A40!

For more information on the WideTEK see:
www.imageaccess.de

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23rd February 2007

INTERVIEW: Thomas Ingendoh, Image Access GmbH

Scanners4CAD spoke to Thomas Ingendoh, Image Access' President and CEO.

Scanners4CAD: "You started Image Access in 1993 and now employ over 60 people. What is your core business?"

Ingendoh: "Camera sub-assemblies for major OEMs as well as for our own scanners are our core business. Our current capacity is more than 600 cameras per month. Also key to our business is the Bookeye range of planetary scanners which are sold through ImageWare, as well as our own line of WideTEK flatbed scanners.

(Editor's Note: A planetary scanner is a mounted camera that takes captures images of documents placed beneath it. It is suitable for fragile documents, like rare books, as it requires less contact than other types of scanner. This camera technology is the basis of CCD scanner technology.)

"In the past Image Access served a niche market of 48" colour scanners. We've now entered the main stream large format market with our newest model, the WideTEK 36. So, the third part of our business, the one with the highest growth potential, will be a new range of products for the large format sheet feed scanner market".

Scanners4CAD: "What was the first product Image Access developed?"

Ingendoh: "We developed a high resolution 24bit colour graphic board with 1600 x 1200 pixels, as early as 1994".

Scanners4CAD: "How did you get into the scanner market? What is your background and what were your influences?"

Ingendoh: "Shortly after the graphic card line was established, Image Access developed the HiSCAN series of scanner interface boards. We then slowly made our way into scanner electronics, developing the first high speed colour scanner camera in the late 1990s. In 2002, we started designing complete scanners for niche markets".

Scanners4CAD: "Is Image Access now the biggest German manufacturer of large format scanners?"

Ingendoh: "Yes".

Scanners4CAD: "Do you see opportunities for continued growth?"

Ingendoh: "The planetary large format scanner market is growing steadily and we are already the market leader in many countries.

"The sheet feed large format scanner market is relatively new to us although the technology is more than 80% identical to that in the planetary scanner. With all the experience we already have through a decade of manufacturing planetary scanners, we expect to be the No. 3 manufacturer worldwide by the end of 2008".

Scanners4CAD: "You are exhibiting at CeBIT 2007 (Hall 1, A40) from 15 to 21 March 2007 in Hannover. Why?"

Ingendoh: "CeBIT is by far the largest international show for digital equipment. We are at CeBIT because it is a platform to make new international contacts and reach potential distributors and resellers that would otherwise be hard to identify. Our permanent booth in Hall 1 with an exhibition space of 210m² plus a second story 100m² for invited guests is a showcase of our and our partners’ technology".

Scanners4CAD: "That's a huge booth! Do you plan a major announcement?"

Ingendoh: "The new WideTEK 36 will be shown to the general public - and to our competitors - for the first time during CeBIT. We will also announce a significant new strategic partner in the USA, plus that Softcover International Limited, the British publisher of Scan2CAD, will be appointed the exclusive distributor for the UK".

Scanners4CAD: "The WideTek 36 CCD scanner shares 1200 x 600 dpi optical resolution with Colortrac's similar Gx series. What are the significant differences between them?"

Ingendoh: "The WideTEK 36 is a standalone department solution -- not just a scanner. 'Walk-up scanning', operated through the user friendly touch screen interface with built-in job control, is now a reality for the first time in this industry.

"The WideTEK 36 scans 36 inch (A0) colour documents at 300 dpi in 4.2 inches per second. At 1200 dpi it does this at 1 inch per second. Both these speeds include A0 image cleanup, gamma correction, white and black point normalisation, sharpening, rotation, on-the-fly compression and output over the network to an FTP server, a local or remote disk (PC), to a USB stick or to Email (PDF)".

Scanners4CAD: "What are your plans for the WideTEK product range?"

Ingendoh: "A 'stretched version' of the WideTEK 36 will come out in the third quarter of 2007. This scanner will have an identical feature set but a fourth camera will extend the scanning width to 48 inches. On the other end of the product line, we will update our existing 24 inch flatbed scanner to a new 25 inch model using all the new technology from the WideTEK 36".

Scanners4CAD: "What is your relationship with Scan2Net? Are you the same company?"

Ingendoh: "Scan2Net is a technological platform created by Image Access. It is not a company. More and more scanner vendors are using this technology".

Scanners4CAD: "What is special about Scan2Net? What are the benefits of this system over standard scanning software?"

Ingendoh: "Scan2Net is about connectivity.

"For example, if you purchase a professional colour laser printer for your department would you even consider one of these USB-connected low end laser printers, whose intelligence and performance completely relies on the driver installed on the hosting PC? The answer is most likely No! If you have to spend thousands of pounds on a printer, you want it networked, independent of any host and operating system and you also deserve the ability to remotely administer the device over the Intranet.

"Scan2Net does exactly this. Simply assign a valid IP address to you newly acquired Scan2Net scanner, start your browser and scan. It's as easy as that!

"Every Scan2Net scanner runs Linux on a main stream Intel processor, replacing all of our competitors' dedicated imaging hardware with software that performs many times faster. GigaBit network connections are faster than USB, FireWire or SCSI yet they are affordable, available and standardized. In today’s world, computers and peripherals are made available by connecting them through IP based networks and not via point to point USB cables that are limited to a length of 2 meters or less".

(Editor's Note: Read the full scanner specs on: www.imageaccess.de)

Scanners4CAD: "You have invested in R&D and come up with some innovative scanning solutions. What has been your biggest breakthrough?"

Ingendoh: "Besides bringing Scan2Net to the large format scanner community, it has been the idea of completely separating the scanner optics from the document transport.

"Our optical system, whether built with three cameras for large format scanners or single camera A3 flatbed scanners, is integrated in a hermetically sealed metal box which includes the CCD, the lens and mirrors as well as the LED based illumination. This subsystem is factory adjusted, requires no stitching or other adjustments aside from a white calibration and is a field replacement part. Together with the Scan2Net based software, it makes up 80% of a scanner, the rest is about paper path, transport rolls and floor stands".

Scanners4CAD: "Your WideTEK 36 is attractively priced and competitive, yet it is manufactured in Germany where labour costs are high. Do you plan to follow Colortrac and Graphtec into Chinese production or will you remain a European manufacturer, like Contex?"

Ingendoh: "We have no plans to move manufacturing to the Far East. There are compelling reasons for this. Our local electronic assembly house as well as our sheet metal vendors are both Wuppertal-based companies. Short delivery times, tight quality control as well as flexible manufacturing schedules saves more money in the long run than the quick savings one would expect from going to China.

"Manufacturing labour costs add up to less than 20% of the total cost thanks to our highly automated, computer assisted manufacturing processes. And last but not least, our region - including the Ruhr valley, Duesseldorf and Cologne - is the largest industrial region in Europe. This enables us to have a lean manufacturing model, outsourcing everything possible with the exception of mission critical assembly, research and development".

Scanners4CAD: "Contex's development seems to have slowed with the G600 range which is essentially yesterday's scanners in new packaging. With 508 dpi optical resolution their "new" G600 product range looks uncompetitive compared to the emerging new generation of 1200 x 600 dpi optical scanners. What does the future hold for Contex, the world's most successful large format scanner manufacturer?"

Ingendoh: "Believe it or not, I talked to Contex' corporate leadership about a possible integration of our Scan2Net technology into their scanners a couple of years ago. At the time, they did not realise the potential behind this technology, so we went out on this path alone.

"Today, I believe that we have a two to three year lead in technology which will be hard for any competitor to bridge. Contex is the undisputed market leader as of today but with our soon-to-be-announced strategic partnership in the US and many new and enthusiastic distributors and resellers worldwide, we will see dramatic changes in the large format scanner business soon".

Scanners4CAD: "The Contex Puma seems to be similar in some ways to your Scan2Net system. Do you think you let the cat out of the bag when you showed Scan2Net to Contex or is this just an example of synchronicity?"

Ingendoh: "When we talked to Contex some 6 years ago Scan2Net had just been released for the first time and implemented in a flatbed scanner. We designed the Scan2Net logo and have had trademarks in Europe and the US since 2003, which also marked the first year of widespread use of the Scan2Net technology. In 2004 Contex started using the word "Scan2Net" - not our trademarked logo - in their literature as a synonym for connectivity.

"Contex have realized that this technology is a 'must have' in the very near future. What we do not like about Contex using our name is the fact that their implementation in the Puma scanner is less than 10% of ours in respect to speed, functionality, quality and user benefits.

"It's neither synchronicity nor the disclosure of too many details too early. Compare the $20 PDA-style single chip processor inside the Contex scanner with our full blown ATX motherboard, 2 Gigabyte of DDR2 RAM, a 2.8GHz Pentium 4, 1GB/s network interface, built in web server, mail server, FTP server and the capability to scan without a host PC. It's clear to see that Image Access is playing in a different league to Contex. A simple network connection alone does not create a Scan2Net scanner".

Scanners4CAD: "Given that your product is truly innovative and at the cutting edge, where does it stand with regard to MS-Vista compatibility?"

Ingendoh: "Many vendors have already discovered that their current drivers and/or software are not Vista ready. We have tested our Scan2Net interface with the IE 7 on a Vista PC and found no problems, it actually works better with the IE 7 than with the old and buggy IE 6. This again shows the benefits of the Scan2Net technology to the user; it works across all internet enabled platforms because it uses www-standard protocols and does not rely on proprietary APIs and drivers".

Scanners4CAD: "Your product has what Bill Gates calls the "Wow Factor"! As a result, we see you succeeding internationally. Good luck. German engineering is widely regarded as the best. Thousands of UK CAD users drive German cars to work and enjoy the experience. We're confident that soon many UK CAD users will also be driving a German scanner at work. Thank you".

Image Access GmbH
Image Access GmbH
Hatzfelder Str. 161-163, 42281
Wuppertal
Germany
Tel: +49 (0)202 27058-12,
Fax: +49 (0)202 27058-412
www.imageaccess.de

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16th February 2007

HOT NEWS: New scanner player in the market - the WideTEK 36

There's an innovative new player in the large format scanner market.

Image Access GmbH is Germany's leading manufacturer of specialist 48" colour scanners. They are now moving aggressively into the mainstream scanner market with a new and attractively priced 36" model, the operating system independent WideTEK 36.

Based in Wuppertal, Germany, Image Access develop tailor-made solutions for the worldwide imaging market - controllers and optoelectronics, as well as complete scanning devices. Their product range includes innovative greyscale and colour A2 flatbed and A1 planetary scanners, as well as a 48" (A0+) high speed, large format colour scanner for volume and production scanning.

Image Access will present a range of newly developed and enhanced products at CeBIT 2007 (Hall 1, A40) from 15 to 21 March 2007 in Hannover.

WideTEK 36

The new WideTEK 36 CCD colour scanner sporting 1200 x 600 dpi optical resolution will take centre stage on the Image Access booth at CeBIT.

To read full details of this new scanner, see: www.imageaccess.de

With an introductory price of € 9.999 (GBP £6995) - the same price as the Colortrac SmartLF Gx 42e, the WideTEK 36 is supplied with a floorstand, (extra in the SmartLF), and scan software based on internet and network-ready connectivity, (unavailable in the SmartLF), plus all accessories.

The low noise, 36" (915 mm) WideTEK is a monochrome, greyscale and colour scanner and claims to be the fastest CCD scanner available today, faster even than Contex scanners. The WideTEK 36 has a compact footprint, an easy to use touch-screen interface, gives copyshop rates of productivity and is backed up with German engineering and support. For repro stylistas the WideTEK 36's retro look would not be out of place on the Starship Enterprise!

The scanner will be in production by mid-March in time for CeBIT where Image Access will be looking to fill their order books. A major new US distributor is expected to announce a significant OEM agreement with Image Access at CeBIT, an agreement that will propel this new player and its products onto the international stage.

A "true" networking scanner, the WideTEK 36 is an obvious rival to the Contex Puma which has a starting price of £14995 (excl).

The WideTEK is only the second scanner to offer 1200 x 600 resolution. The first was the Colortrac SmartLF Gx 42 range. While slightly smaller than the Gx 42, the WideTEK 36 is also capable of scanning A0 sheets in monochrome, greyscale or colour.

What is exciting about the WideTEK 36 is its use of the Scan2Net platform. Scanners running on the Scan2Net platform require only a network connection and a standard web browser to connect the scanner to the PC and the world beyond. It even allows support engineers in Germany direct access to the scanner! Now that's a first! It is operating system independent, thereby adding flexibility and further protecting your investment.

Image Access' WideTEK 36 is fundamentally different to all other scanners. Its Scan2Net architecture frees the host PC from all image related tasks. At the WideTEK's heart is a Pentium-based Linux system with 2Gb RAM, more than in most PCs, dedicated to your scanning activities. It is not shared with Windows or other application software and drivers. This power is used to make the WideTEK scan faster.

The WideTEK 36 scans 36 inch (A0) colour documents at:

600 x 600 dpi, 24 bit colour 2.1 inch/sec (3.2 m/min)

300 x 300 dpi, 24 bit colour 4.2 inch/sec (6.4 m/min)

150 x 150 dpi, 24 bit colour 8.4 inch/sec (12.7 m/min)

Note: These speeds include A0 image cleanup, gamma correction, white and black point normalisation, sharpening, rotation, on-the-fly compression AND output over the network to an FTP server, a local or remote disk (PC), a USB stick or to Email (PDF).

WideTEK scanners, which are also available as A2 and A3 flatbed, are RoHS and Energy Star compliant. The WideTEK A3 needs only 4 seconds to scan a document up to A3 in size at an optical resolution of 600 dpi. The WideTEK A2 flatbed scanner allows for an exact configuration of the resolution, selectable in 1 dpi steps, all the way up to 600 dpi. The high life expectancy of the device, at several million scan operations, is claimed to far exceed that of competitive products on the market.

Image Access say that their high profile presence at CeBIT is proof of the competence of their scanning technology and their determination to grow internationally and to take a sizeable share of the large format scanner market. The forthcoming range of WideTEK scanners will pile pressure on Contex whose product range languishes with yesterday's technology. Large format scanner users have much to look forward to in 2007.

Thomas Ingendoh / President & CEO
Image Access GmbH
Hatzfelder Str. 161-163, 42281
Wuppertal
Germany
Tel: +49 (0)202 27058-12,
Fax: +49 (0)202 27058-412
www.imageaccess.de

About Image Access:

Founded by Thomas Ingendoh, President & CEO, in 1993, Image Access established itself in a short time as a leading German manufacturer of scanning technologies for professional applications. With several award-winning developments of its own, Image Access has become an established technological leader in the wide format market and now has more than 60 employees.

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16th February 2007

APPLE MACS: Affordable A0 scanning with the WideTEK 36

Affordable A0 scanning on Apple Macs is now a reality for the first time.

In the past, Apple Mac users had limited large format scanning options, none of which were affordable. Now, the new WideTEK 36 offers a solution that is as good as and as affordable as top quality large format scanning gets.

The new operating system independent WideTEK 36 offers Apple Mac and Unix users access to scanning technology with the same price and performance benefits that PC users in the AEC, CAD, GIS, Mapping and Reprographics markets have grown accustomed to.

Best, the WideTEK 36 is a leading edge, state-of-the-art A0 scanning solution genuinely worthy of the superior graphics capability of an Apple Mac!

Easy Installation via Scan2Net® Technology
Compatible with all processors, e.g. PC, Mac, Unix
Extremely fast but quiet 36 inch color scanner
12 square meters per minute continuous scanning
1200 x 600dpi (saves 600dpi) optical resolution
Easily operated by the touchscreen or any web browser
Advanced illumination using super-luminous white LEDs
After 1,000,000 scans it's still economic and efficient
User-friendly, designed for production, compact size
1 GBit/s TCP/IP Network Interface
Simply plug it into your Mac, assign an IP address and scan!

To read full details of this new A0 scanner for Apple Macs, PCs and Unix systems, see: www.imageaccess.de

This new large format German scanner is OS independent i.e. it will run as comfortably on a Mac as on a Unix or PC system. It connects the Mac or PC to the scanner via a network cable and is run from a browser on any Mac in your department. It is a true network-ready scanner.

There are many nice things about the WideTEK but the most important is that it is a 36" A0 1200 x 600 dpi colour CCD scanner, fast and inexpensive, a steal at just £6995 (excl.) including software, floorstand and all accessories. It's a high quality, large format Mac scanning system for users in CAD, mapping, graphics and art.

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15th February 2007

WHITE PAPER: At last, some honesty about large format scanners!

All scanner manufacturers produce information on large format scanning. All put their own particular spin on the subject. Image Access, the latest manufacturer into this market, has the best white paper on this subject. It is an honest assessment of the large format scanner market and their technology.

The murkiest area in wide format scanning at present is optical resolution. Contex describe their 508 dpi optical resolution scanners as 600 dpi optical and call their product line-up the G600 range. We think this is done to confuse potential buyers into thinking that their scanners are more capable than they actually are.

The only "true" 600 dpi scanner Contex has is the Puma!

Colortrac were the first manufacturer to use 1200 x 600 dpi optics. They claim that their SmartLF Gx series are 1200 dpi optical scanners. However, as the highest optical resolution the SmartLF Gx can save at is 600 dpi we believe that it is better to describe them as 600 dpi optical scanners. Nothing more, nothing less.

So, now there is a new kid on the block, also with a strong claim to high resolution. Image Access from Germany are now the second manufacturer, after Colortrac, to offer 1200 x 600 dpi optics in their scanners. Bearing in mind that a competitive edge in optical resolution has been a traditional guarantee of market share, you would expect Image Access to puff it up, like Contex and Colortrac. Not a bit of it.

Image Access have produced a white paper, "WideTEK 36 Technology explained", that states that "Image Access refuses to take part in misleading the customer with incorrect or improper statements about the real optical resolution. Our WideTEK 36 scanners have 600 dpi optical, not a dpi more or less".

Given Image Access' belief in the technical gap that exists between their WideTEK network scannners and rival scanners it is perhaps understandable that they do not feel the need to bang the optical resolution drum as hard as Colortrac and Contex who both feel the need for something more to distinguish their products. This is a pity because both provide good solutions that require no puffery.

If you want to know more about the wide format scanner market you should read the WideTEK white paper before purchasing anything.

Click here to read the Image Access white paper (PDF).

Click here to read the Contex white paper (PDF).

Click here to read the Graphtec white paper (PDF).

Colortrac do not have a white paper.

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15th February 2007

NEW PRODUCT: Colortrac release their lowest priced large format scanner yet!

Colortrac has added a new 25" large format CCD (charge couple device) high quality resolution scanner to their SmartLF Gx product line.

Colortrac SmartLF Gx 25

Colortrac, who now claim to be the world's leading supplier of large format CIS (contact image sensor) scanners, announced the SmartLF Gx 25 on the 22nd January 2007, too late for inclusion in last month's Scanners4CAD.

The SmartLF Gx 25 is the second Colortrac product to feature their "innovative, ultra compact digital camera unit (DCU) 1200 dpi CCD imaging technology". The first was their 42" SmartLF Gx 42 series reviewed in 2006.

The SmartLF Gx 25 is the latest and smallest addition to the growing range of enhanced quality CCD scanners that Colortrac began with the Gx 42 in September 2006 and which the giant Gx 54 will complete sometime in 2007.

The new Gx 25 range will accurately capture the finest details of A1 / D-size maps, drawings, blueprints, site plans and technical documents in monochrome or colour at resolutions from 100 up to 9600 dpi. It features 1200 x 600 dpi optical resolution CCD technology (which saves as 600 dpi optical).

Designed to provide quick, high quality scans, copies or file distribution of wide format photographs, satellite images, artwork, graphic designs, posters and other originals that contain fine image detail and require full colour or monochrome image capture, the SmartLF Gx 25 will scan up to 25" wide images with a media width between 6" and 35".

Weighing in at 38kg and measuring 114 x 17 x 37cm, the Gx 25 is smaller, lighter and more transportable than the Gx 42. Like the Gx 42, it will only scan media up to 0.5mm thick, probably its biggest downside. The standard Gx range is a poor performer with thick media, the worst off all the large format scanners on the Scanners4CAD large format scanner comparison chart.

Even so, 0.5mm is suitable for most standard drawing paper thicknesses but is not enough to scan a thick card. Users with an infrequent need to scan slightly thicker media, let alone artwork on board, will need to buy the GxT versions which cost £750 extra per model. These provide motorised thick media scanning of mounted originals up to 0.8" (20 mm) thickness.

As with the SmartLF Cx 40 (CIS) and Gx 42 (CCD) there are three versions of the SmartLF Gx 25 scanner; m (monochrome), c (monochrome, colour) and e (monochrome, faster colour). None of the Gx models are fast but the quality of their scanned results is superb. If sharp, very precise, high resolution scan quality is what you want then investing in a Colortorac SmartLF Gx scanner represents one way to achieve it.

Any Gx model can be upgraded on-site quickly and easily by return email. This allows customers to buy the right scanner for their current project knowing that they can enhance their system capability from mono to colour or express colour should they need to. However, potential customers should note that SmartLF Gx models cannot be upgraded or retro-fitted to a GxT model. If you need a thick media option you need to pay more to begin with.

Colortrac SmartLF Gx25 Pricing
(mono speed / colour speed / maximum media thickness)

SmartLF Gx 25m - £3495 (6ips mono / N/A / 0.5mm)
SmartLF Gx 25c - £3995 (6ips mono / 0.77ips colour / 0.5mm)
SmartLF Gx 25e - £4495 (6ips mono / 3ips fast colour / 0.5mm)
SmartLF GxT 25m - £4245 (6ips mono / N/A / 20 mm)
SmartLF GxT 25c - £4745 (6ips mono / 0.77ips colour / 20 mm)
SmartLF GxT 25e - £5245 (6ips mono / 3ips fast colour / 20 mm)

With an anticipated US list price of $5795, Colortrac expect the entry level Gx 25m (monochrome) version to have a "street price" of around the US $5000 mark. Allied Images, the UK distributor, have set a UK list price of £3495 (about $6990) for the British SmartLF Gx 25m but with widespread reseller discounting they expect the GB street price to be more in line with US prices. This is good news for buyers but bad news for resellers who stand to make little or nothing on such a sale.

"Will the new SmartLF Gx 25 extend price and performance benefits?"

There's no doubting that Colortrac have had runaway success with their SmartLF CIS range of Cx scanners. With the recent introduction of their SmartLF Gx series of CCD scanners Colortrac are now the only large format scanner manufacturer to offer both CIS and CCD based scanners.

Rival manufacturers Graphtec concentrate on CIS scanners. Graphtec argue, and many would agree, that they are the leading supplier of CIS scanners worldwide. Contex, the traditional market leader, specialises in CCD scanners. Neither split resources to concentrate on both technologies as Colortrac do.

Colortrac's Managing Director Graham Tinn says that "Access to both of these imaging technologies allows customers to choose the best scanners for their application while benefiting from the SmartLF philosophy ~ high quality, good performance and excellent value for money."

The market has been largely satisfied with Colortrac's mix of quality, price and performance to date. It's a fact that Colortrac gave the low-end of the market its first taste of affordable, true large format (A0) scanning. Colortrac have done most things right.

Colortrac are now hoping to inspire a new generation of customers who want a smaller scanner offering better quality at an attractive price. Is there such a market? Yes, in an environment where the majority of scanning work is A1 or smaller, but not among those CAD users with an extensive A0 scanning requirement.

Although less expensive than any other A1 or A0 scanner, by using CCD technology the Gx 25 has not provided the large format price drop CAD users were hoping for. The majority of CAD users do not need the extra colour quality offered by a CCD scanner and may be better off spending a bit extra on a CIS Colortrac or Graphtec scanner that can scan A0.

The secret of Colortrac's success has been in providing their customers with what they want - a practical and affordable large format solution. The introduction of the SmartLF Gx range offers Colortrac's customers a choice of CIS or CCD scanners, the latter in different sizes from 25" to 42" to 54".

The Gx 25 is too small to be used with every drawing size CAD users may get. Its more expensive scan quality is more than many cost-conscious CAD users need. It will most please those working with maps, artwork and graphics who do not need to scan at larger than A1.

Colortrac Limited
Kings Hall
St Ives Business Park
St Ives
Huntingdon
Cambs PE27 4WY
UK
Tel +44 1480 464618
Fax +44 1480 464620
www.colortrac.com

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2nd February 2007

REVIEW: AEC magazine reviews HP DesignJet 4500 scan and print solution

AEC Magazine (September/October 2006, UK) ran a review of the HP DesignJet 4500 printer which can be bought with an optional scanner. But how much does it cost?

As we had been recently contacted by a scanning bureau who had told us that they had "run a mile" after enquiring about the cost of a large format HP scanner, we went in search of HP's recommended retail price.

FisherCAD, a leading HP wide format printer reseller, quoted us a UK list price of £25680 on HP DesignJet 4500 with the scanner and £9730 for the printer and £15600 for the scanner separately. The HP scanner is possibly but not certainly an OEM'ed Contex Puma.

Read AEC Magazine's review here.

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2nd February 2007

VISTA: WOW - Vista runs CAD up to 50 times slower!

Wow! - Colortrac SmartLF Gx 25 / GxT 25 now supports Windows Vista.

Buried in the smallprint of the new Colortrac SmartLF Gx 25 / GxT 25 brochure is the statement that it can be run with Windows XP or Vista.

The SmartLF Gx series support for Windows Vista is encouraging as few new hardware buyers will want to invest money in expensive hardware that will not run on the next Windows operating sytem. It seems Colortrac are the first large format scanner manufacturer to declare Windows Vista support.

Image Access' WideTEK 36 also works on Vista. This is one of the benefits of its Scan2Net technology. Scan2Net works across all internet enabled platforms because it uses www-standard protocols and does not rely on proprietary APIs and drivers.

As far as we know, neither Contex nor Graphtec have declared their support for Windows Vista at present. Maybe wisely so. Right now, a massive question mark is developing over Vista's support for CAD. This could have serious repercussions among cost-conscious CAD users, the biggest the new market for affordable scanners.

Given the revelations now coming out about Vista's present total unsuitability for CAD applications many of these new potential scanner buyers will not want to touch it until it is a lot, lot faster.

Tom's Hardware is a popular benchmarking site. Ralph Grabowski's upFront eZine reports that Tom's Hardware ran their SPECviewperf 9.03 benchmarks on several CAD systems and found that they slow to a crawl under Vista. Compared with XP, here are the results:

Pro/Engineer = 6.7x slower.
SolidWorks = 9.0x slower.
TeamCenter = 9.1x slower.
UGS NX = 50x slower.

Average performace was down 90% in Vista for MCAD apps, (Pro/Engineer, UGS's NX and Teamcenter Visualization Mockup, CATIA and SolidWorks), and down 86.4% in visualization programs (Autodesk 3ds Max, LightScape and Maya). The reason for the dismal performance is Vista's lack of support for the OpenGL graphics library.

Bill Gates is on record using the term "Wow" to describe his new Windows Vista operating system. Clearly Gates is describing his hoped-for feeling you'd get when seeing Vista for the first time. Certainly the Vista interface has a glossy, transparent look and feel about it. Those who have seen it are generally impressed.

Ralph Grabowski, a leading CAD industry commentator, says "Some CAD industry commentators are now saying that "wow" stands for "worse or worser". The common theme seems to be that performance takes a huge hit. By all accounts CAD software performs worse on Vista than at any time in the last five years".

"I expected there to be no benefit for CAD users to an immediate upgrade to Windows Vista, and I've said so here before. But it is rather shocking to see these reports of such terrible degradation of performance".

Vista for CAD? We suggest you wait.
There is no good CAD reason to invest in Vista now. If you have the money and time to satisfy your curiosity, then good luck but don't say we - and others - didn't warn you!

XP is stable and works. If you are a CAD user we suggest that you continue to run your scanner on XP alongside your CAD program. We suggest you stick with XP until Microsoft - and or others - sees their way clear to sorting this Vista mess out.

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1st February 2007

USER STORY: Filing Plus invest in SmartLF 4080 from Softcover

Allied Images, UK distributor of Colortrac SmartLF scanners, describe how Softcover's sale of a Colortrac SmartLF series scanner brought wide format scanning benefits to London-based scanning bureau, Filing Plus.

See: http://www.allied-images.com

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