Visioneer OneTouch 8650

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Reviewed by: Kim Wimpsett

Reviewed on 8/28/00    Updated on: 1/9/03    Editors' note: We have updated the ratings of this product to reflect changes in this category. (5/3/04)

When CNET reviewed the OneTouch 8600, we were impressed with its speed and ease of use. Now Visioneer has made a good thing even better with the OneTouch 8650. The scanner delivers comparable speed and quality to the 8600, and it comes with an automatic document feeder (ADF), adding to an already impressive list of conveniences.

Full review of Visioneer OneTouch 8650

When CNET reviewed the OneTouch 8600, we were impressed with its speed and ease of use. Now Visioneer has made a good thing even better with the OneTouch 8650. The scanner delivers comparable speed and quality to the 8600, and it comes with an automatic document feeder (ADF), adding to an already impressive list of conveniences.

Scanning at Your Fingertips
Like its close relative, the 8650 features one-touch scanning. The unit's faceplate has a series of buttons that are preconfigured for different scanning functions: Scan, Copy/Print, Fax, OCR, Email, and Custom. Each button triggers scripts that deliver your scan to the appropriate software on your system, and all (not just the Custom) can be reprogrammed.

Once the scanner is installed, an icon for the 8650 appears in the Windows toolbar, giving you one-click access to its driver. With a few clicks, you can associate one of the scanner's buttons to an application; you can also establish the scan settings and format for each button. (All these features also come with the 8600.)

So What's New?
The only feature that sets the 8650 apart from the 8600 is the ADF, which is simply a specialized document cover with a copier-style feeder that can hold up to 50 sheets. Drop your documents in faceup and you're off and scanning--almost. In order to use the ADF with the one-touch buttons, you must configure the driver accordingly. The ADF is not available as an add-on to the 8600, though Visioneer does have plans to sell it separately sometime in the future.

Once configured, though, the ADF handles your documents with ease and speed. When compared to the only other ADF-enabled scanner we've looked at, the HP ScanJet 6350Cse, the 8650 blazed through a ten-page document in nearly half the time, or a bit more than five minutes. In addition, hardly any paper jams occurred during testing.

In CNET Labs' tests, the 8650 handled single scans well, too. A full-page color scan at 150 dots per inch (dpi) (600-by-1,200-dpi maximum resolution) averaged only 18.5 seconds, and a grayscale scan came in at 17.3 seconds. The Visioneer roughly tied with the Umax Astra 6400 FireWire and was edged out only by the Epson Perfection 1200U.

However, that speed does come at a slight sacrifice of quality. Scans were generally crisp and clear, but color was somewhat washed out. While that might seem an understandable compromise for the speed, consider again the Perfection 1200U: It's the fastest scanner CNET has tested; it offers the finest scan quality that we've seen so far; and it costs less than the 8650, albeit without an ADF.

In fact, at $299, the 8650 is a great bargain. It costs only slightly more than most other SOHO scanners without ADFs; in contrast, the HP ScanJet 6350Cse, which does include one, costs $499. If you're willing to give up a bit of scan quality for speed and low cost, the 8650 is well worth considering.

Although the 8650's strengths lie in its speed and features, its weaknesses lie in its somewhat lackluster software bundle and customer support options. The 8650 comes with a small amount of software, its most notable applications being the perfectly adequate TextBridge Pro 8 OCR package and PaperPort Deluxe for document and image management. Visioneer provides PictureWorks PhotoEnhancer for an image editor, as opposed to the more robust Adobe PhotoDeluxe, and the other titles are hardly worth mentioning. Customer service itself is free, but the phone call is not; technicians are available only Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific time.

Ultimately, the value of the Visioneer OneTouch 8650 hinges on its document feeder. While other scanners offer better scan quality and software, the 8650 lets you scan volumes of documents for a lower price than that of other ADF-equipped SOHO scanners.

Performance chart of Visioneer OneTouch 8650

The Visioneer ranks among the best in terms of speed, on a par with the Umax Astra and coming in just behind the Epson Perfection. Its unimpressive scan quality makes it better suited for business scanning than photo archiving.

Basic Specs

Product Specifications:
Product Description: Visioneer OneTouch 8650 - Flatbed scanner
Type: Flatbed scanner - Desktop
Max Supported Media Size: A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in)
Dimensions (WxDxH): 13 in x 16.7 in x 7 in
Weight: 10.8 lbs
Input Type: Color
Resolution: 12-bit gray / 36-bit color
Optical Resolution: 600 dpi x 1200 dpi
Interpolated Resolution: 1200 dpi x 2400 dpi
Max Document Size: 8.5 in x 11.7 in
Supported Media Type: Plain paper
Media Feeder Type: Autoload
Interface Type: USB / IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP)
Optical Storage: None
Power: AC 110/220 V
System Requirements: Microsoft Windows XP , Microsoft Windows 95/98 , Microsoft Windows 2000 / NT4.0 , Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Product Basic Spec:
Scanner type: Flatbed scanner