Electronic Document Delivery: Technology Update

By Sylvia Merino, MBA, MPH
Head, Learning Resources Division
UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library

Are you in the market for a new scanner? If the answer is yes, then you may have noticed the new USB 2.0 scanners that are being offered by various big name manufacturers. These scanners weren't available at the time the Latitudes article "The Quick Guide to Electronic Delivery" was published in May/June 2002 (see http://nnlm.gov/psr/lat/v11n3/quick_ed.html).

Here's an update to help you decide if these scanners are for you.

USB 2.0 or "Hi-Speed USB" scanners are faster than standard "Basic Speed" USB 1.1 scanners. In fact, USB 2.0 is theoretically rated as being faster than a Firewire connection:

The great promise for USB 2.0 is that it provides the same easy plug and play connectivity as before but at 40 times the previous speed. A USB 2.0 device is not only faster than Firewire but is usually less expensive than a comparable Firewire device.

Why would you want a faster scanner? If you need to scan many photographic images and maintain the image quality than you would want a higher speed scanner. The large file sizes will be captured at a faster rate with a Firewire or USB 2.0 scanner and save you processing time. On the other hand, if all your scans are done at low resolution and result in small file sizes, as is the goal with the creation of PDF files, you may only see a marginal improvement in the capture speed. A PC Magazine article published tests that found that a low-resolution 150-dpi scan took 14 seconds on a USB 1.1 scanner versus 13 seconds on a USB 2.0 scanner. Not much of an improvement, but the high-resolution 600-dpi scan took 1 minute 57 seconds on a USB 1.1 scanner versus 34 seconds on a USB 2.0 scanner. It's worth it to upgrade to the 2.0 scanner if you do a lot of high resolution scanning.

Before you rush out to buy a Hi-Speed USB device, you need to be sure that your computer is USB 2.0 compliant. Unfortunately, the chances are that it isn't because only very recently manufactured computers have USB 2.0 working when they shipped. You can't tell which USB you have by looking at the computer port - - they both look the same. You'll have to check your computer specs with the manufacturer to know for sure what you have. But you may find it reassuring to know that USB 2.0 is backward compatible and these devices will work on a USB 1.1 port, albeit running at a slower 12 mbps speed. Also, make sure you are using a Hi-Speed compliant cable to get the higher speed. Most cables that came with older USB 1.1 devices are not Hi-Speed compliant.

You can add USB 2.0 ports to a computer that doesn't have them. Your computer will need to meet certain requirements:

1. Your computer BIOS must be USB capable. Generally speaking, it should be dated June 1998 or newer.
2. Your computer operating system must be USB 2.0 capable. Microsoft has released an official USB 2.0 driver for Windows XP and Windows 2000, version 5.1.2600. They do not plan to release drivers for Windows 98 and do not appear to rushing to develop anything for Windows ME.
3. For operating systems such as Windows 98/98se/ME, your only option is to purchase a third-party card and install it in a free PCI slot in your computer. Check to make sure that the card you buy supplies the drivers to support the operating system of your computer.
4. Note that, as with USB 1.1, you cannot add USB 2.0 ports to a computer using either the Windows 95 or Windows NT operating system.

If you will be getting a new computer soon, you may want to hold off upgrading the old computer and wait until you have the new USB 2.0 compliant PC. But in the meantime, if you are making purchases for peripherals such as scanners, external hard drives, etc., make sure you look into USB 2.0 which will allow your peripherals to grow with your future computer needs.

[Editor's Note: Sylvia's article in the May-June 2002 issue of Latitudes was so popular, that we asked her for this update. Thanks, Sylvia!)

Next Article > >