Ok. I got my IMAC, my IBOOK, My Epson 740i Printer, getting a BJC-85 printer for the IBOOK,
Now what do I have to know about Scanners (don"t know nothing)...I"m not a profesional , so I don't want nothing sophisticated ; but on the other hand , don't want a mickey mouse scanner
Thanks.
'

I have the Umax 2100U and have never had one problem with it! I have been very satisfied with the quality of the scans!

[exa]

I'd go with an HP scanner, from a review I saw on TV, a certain HP model overcame the umax (in price and performance).

[Anthony the PC lover]

I got a ViviScan one. Its really cheap, but does a great job.

Ok. I know there are a lot of scanners out there ,but what must I see or ask in buying one?

[exa]

You can try reading reviews, here is a site: http://www.zdnet.com/products/filter...pt=zdhpdir0103

I agree with the above...try that link and it should tell you what you need to know in selecting a scanner. The only thing that I wish I could change about my scanner is that there is no on/off switch. I have to continually plug/unplug it! Although, the quality and accuracy outweigh that small disadvantage.

Has anyone try the Epson Perfection 610 scanner?
Please Help?

[garrettnelson]

I have an Epson 636U, perhaps similar to the 610. It is a really great scanner; high quality and good speed. It supports OCR and all sorts of nifty stuff--and works well with other Epson peripherals.

[tooki]

I would avoid HP. Their track record shows that they are quick to abandon the Mac platform, and I also think that HP's scanner software SUCKS.


tooki

[Feathers]

I think specification is a bit more important than brand.

1) Make sure the specified resolution is true optical res not BS interpolation. 1200x2400 minimum

2) I'd advise going for one with built-in tranny capability rather than perhaps regretting it a bit later.

3) Consider the bundled software (Photoshop 5.5LE maybe) - I actually got a Umax610 free when I bought Photoshop, so I now have two flatbeds.

4) Avoid these CIS (Contact Image Sensor) thin bus-powered usb scanners, make sure it's CCD - quality is far superior ATM.

5) Yeah, I'd say Epson or Umax too.

[Qono]

It actually depends on what you plan to do with the scanner. Is it for scanning family photos, or is it for high-end graphic design? The higher the resolution it can scan at, the better the quality of the scan. But not everyone needs high resolution. I went with the Epson 1200U. It doesn't take up much space in a workspace. The UMAX's I've used are reliable, yet slow and physically bulky...

What Qono said.

Having agreed with that, let me say this. We're partial to the Agfa SnapScans for lower-end use. Agfa's ScanWise software is *by far* the best we've seen for consumers. We also like Agfa's FotoLook software on their higher-end scanners.

Keep in mind Agfa is heavily into the prepress business, and tends to put that experience to work in all their scanners, regardless of price.

Right now, I have the SnapScan 1212u on an iMac DV, hooked in through the keyboard hub. Most people do not have luck with the keyboard hub -- but Agfa's drivers for the iMac are the most stable we've encountered.

For higher-end work, there's any number of opinions. But for Uncle Fred scanning his family pictures on his iMac, the Agfa scanners are hard to beat.

A couple more notes (had to go offline for a bit).

We have a deal with the local Sears store to demonstrate consumer Macs and peripherals. Sears gets qualified demonstrators, we get leads for resurrecting Performas and on-site handholding, everyone's happy. But anyway, one day, I dragged the display Agfa SnapScan Touch off the shelf, downloaded OS 9 compatible drivers, and plugged it into the demo iBook, which only had 32 MB RAM.

We had absolutely no problems scanning pictures up to 8 x 10" from the SnapScan Touch to the iBook HD, then hot-unplugging the scanner and then plugging in an Epson Stylus Color 740 for printing.

I wouldn't scan a picture bigger than 8 x 10" with 32 MB RAM, though... on my iMac DV, the system will suck up to 60 MB RAM when printing an 8 x 10" photo (set for HP Premium Plus Glossy Photo Paper) on my HP 840.

But my main point remains: I give the edge to Agfa scanners because their drivers and software seem more stable.

I've had an Epson Perfection 610 for a couple of months now linked to my iMac DVSE and it's been fine -- good scans and easy to operate.

Only complaint is that the Epson Personal Copy software (bundled here in Oz) is flaky. I can't get it to work on my set-up (printing to an Epson 740i). Anyone else found this problem?

kaotica

I also have a Snapscan 1212u by Agfa. Very pleased with it. No problems at all. One minor complaint: no on/off swicth. The included software is a breeze to use.

FWIW, Agfa *does* put a "sleep" switch on the front of the 1212u. You can't turn the scanner on and off... but you can put it to sleep, which turns off the imaging light.

I don't think there's a "sleep" switch on the SnapScan Touch tho'.