Document Management

Home > Resources > Graveyard > Page 4

The Contex FSS Series

In 1988, Contex A/S of Denmark launched what was to be the most successful line of large format scanners to date. The FSS series had a unique compact platform utilizing an array of mirrors to lengthen the focus field of the cameras. The first models had a proprietary PC interface, but were upgraded to SCSI in 1992. Lateral stitching of the multiple camera

models was performed by turning an adjustment screw that was accessible from the top cover. Although priced at almost half of what their competitors were charging, they were very well built and very reliable. To this day, Contex scanners are still based on this proven multiple mirrored-camera design. To this day, no one has sold more scanners than Contex. Combined.

The Vidar Truscan Color

A landmark as one of the first affordable ($30,000 in 1992) large format color scanners. It was based on the HR 36 model, a two-camera 36" platform. The color processing

components were provided by U.K.-based Colortrac. Colortrac now manufactures their own large format color scanners, and recently took over the Action Imaging Systems line.

The WideCom WideFax

Canada's WideCom Group took the fax machine to the nth degree with WideFax in 1992. The initial technology was based on what small format units were doing at the time, just a heck of a lot bigger. The scanner portion had a 36" array of contact sensors, and the 36" wide printer used thermal print heads with an overlaying ink ribbon. The system had a built-in 14.4Kbaud modem, a telephone-type keyboard, and CCTIT group3 fax compatibility. One year later, the scanner was unbundled as the 400DPI SLC436. It had a proprietary PC interface,

Windows software, and a Twain driver. The threshold settings had to be entered manually on the scanner's keyboard (which still had all the phone buttons), but the scan quality was excellent. It was also fast - about two inches per second at 400dpi. A few years later, the scanner was totally redesigned as the monochrome/grayscale/color SLC436C. When it was upgraded to an Ultra-Wide SCSI interface, it became the SLC836C. Retailing at just $13,000, you just couldn't beat it for price and performance.