Re: Quickie Scanner 8 bit head and 6 bit head!!

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article songman@nile.intac.com (,, Robert Liptak) writes...

>       I just recently got a Quickie Scanner and I also have the color
>scanning adaptor and software. When I was reading the manual for the
>color scanning I found out there are two versions of the Quickie Scanner.

    From feedback spoken in this group, no one here has been able to
successfully do color scans using the R/G/B filters and software. If
you have have luck I would be interested to know.

>There is a 6 bit version and a 8 bit version. Even though that the manual
>states that these two versions of the Quickie Scanner scan the same my
>question is why did they make a 8 bit version as well if this be the case?

    Simply because Vitesse did not manufacture the scanners, they are
just OEM scanners which use the Omron 1700 scan head (the only unique
thing about them is the word "Quickie" painted across the top and the
Vitesse product sticker label underneath). What Vitesse manufactured
was the Apple II interface card and the software that went with it.

    Since the Quickie only does a maximum of 4 bit greyscale on the
Apple IIgs, it did not matter whether they used 6 or 8 bit scanners
really. That is, unless you later purchased the IBM "upgrade" kit,
consisting of an ISA slot card and DOS based scanner software (btw,
I am still interested in finding out where I can purchase that card
and software, or at least a description so I can hunt one down).

>It states the difference is only the way the software processes the
>inforamtion. Since I don't have the 6 bit version of the scanner I can't
>truly make a comparison for myself. Even though I have the answer to the
>question already. I just want someones elses opinion and expertise on
>this if they are knowledgable on the technical aspects of the Quickie
>Scanner to answer my curiousity and confusement on why have two version
>if they do truly scan the same.

    Incidentally, how do you identify whether you have a 6 bit or 8 bit
scanner unit? (the housing on my Quickie is curved at the back and it
is all a light beige color. I seem to remember them selling one with a
square shaped back and white in color).

    One *vital* tip about the Quickie scanner that can never be repeated
too many times: Make sure you have version 2.03 (or any 2.xx revision)
of the software for the Apple IIgs. Version 3.xx is absolutely terrible
for scanning, to the point I would say it is flawed. Thankfully you can
now purchase the older 2.03 version from Shareware Solutions II for $5
(it is bundled on the same disk with 3.2 now). Version 2.03 is the last
version _before_ Steve McQueen stepped in, the the same fellow who wrote
flakey software like FAXination and Desktop Enhancer.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca