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Hi,
 
We are hoping to invest before too long in a scanner, in order to expand and
enhance our existing methods of data input (an elderly A0 digitising table
and an army of student slaves).  It will have to be able to handle documents
larger than A4, and possibly up to about A1 or A2 size, and needs to be
able to work alongside DOS boxes and our DEC Alpha workstation. The main
software will be Arc/Info on both platforms.
 
The trouble is that none of the GIS magazines (e.g GIS Europe), nor any of
the general computing magazines I have seen so far, appear to have adverts
for scanners. And none of the local computer firms I have asked seem to
know anything about them (too specialised, not enough demand, all the usual
excuses...).
 
I would much appreciate any suggestions, leads, recommendations, warnings,
etc. What are the resolutions available, and what resolutions would be
recommended? How important is colour capability likely to be? What are
the connectivity issues that need to be considered? How big a hole is it
likely to make in our budget? What are the main makes/ models currently
in use? Do any of these have Irish (or failing that UK, failing that
European) offices or distributors? Etc.
 
This is all relatively new and unknown territory for me, so that I am
not even sure of the intelligent questions to ask nor where to ask them...
 
Many thanks
 
Darius Bartlett