Setting up the actual scanner was remarkably easy; figuring out how to use all the included software was a bit more difficult. The Microtek SlimScan C6 comes with a handy quick-start guide, but detailed documentation is only available in electronic form.

The Microtek SlimScan C6 comes with a great software installer that lets you load all the different software packages one after another. Once we had installed the software, photo scanning was simple--we pushed the single button on the scanner, and our computer automatically launched the scan program. Scanning and recognizing text was also easy; the optical character recognition (OCR) software was completely accurate for most documents we tried.

The Microtek SlimScan C6 also comes with a variety of image-editing and document-management software. Microtek's ScanWizard was particularly useful, since it let us enhance and edit images before we scanned them. It also has a great descreening feature that makes it possible to scan previously printed material without distorted Moire dot patterns.

In addition to performing well as a simple scanner--giving us relatively good picture quality and medium-to-high resolution (600 x 1200 dpi)--the Microtek SlimScan C6 also functions as a fax machine and can convert a color printer into a color copier. Its incredibly thin form makes it a good choice for those with limited desk space, although at 7.7 pounds it's still not quite a portable scanner.

Pros:

• Great selection of accompanying software
• One-touch scanning button

Cons:

• Insufficient printed documentation