AGFA SnapScan 310 Flatbed Scanner

Circa 1997

Use Case:

To convert reflective originals like photos and documents into digital format for home and small office use.

• Primary Uses: Scanning line-art, grayscale, and color originals up to A4 size for use in computer applications, presentations, and basic publishing.

• Target Systems: The drive connects to a computer using a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) port, meaning it required a dedicated SCSI host controller card installed in the PC or Mac to function.

• Resolution: It offered an optical resolution of 300 x 600 dots per inch (dpi).

Was designed to work with both Windows PCs and APPLE Macintosh computers via a standard SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) connection. You need the correct SCSI host controller card and the corresponding AGFA scanner software/drivers for that operating system (Windows 95/98/NT or classic Mac OS). 

While AGFA no longer provides drivers for modern operating systems, third-party software like VueScan can still be used to run the AGFA SnapScan 310 on current versions of Windows, macOS (Intel and APPLE Silicon), and Linux.

Historical Significance:

Part of the early wave of consumer-affordable color flatbed scanners.

• SCSI Dependence: It is a prime example of hardware from an era before USB became the universal standard for peripherals. Its reliance on the more complex SCSI interface (which required manual configuration in some cases) highlights the technical hurdles consumers faced during that time.

• Agfa's Legacy: Agfa was a major player in photographic and imaging technologies, and the SnapScan line was part of their effort to transition their brand strength in film to the emerging digital imaging market.

(H-10.5cm x W-29cm x D-44cm)