Scanner recommendation?

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juha

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#7447 16-Apr-2006 10:23

OK, this s h i t e Canon Lide parallel port job is driving me insane enough to get a new scanner. I like Canon cameras and the printers are good too, but the Lide scanner is slow and the CanoCraft software it requires is incredibly awful and buggy.

So, Geekzonistas: what would you recommend? A4 at least, A3 would be nice; it's for scanning photos and artwork mainly.

Juha

ajobbins

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#33116 16-Apr-2006 20:14

Well i've always been impressed with HP scanners, and the software too. I'm using a Brother MFC at the moment, which is OK, but I do like the HP's better

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juha

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#33118 16-Apr-2006 20:22

Noted - will check one out and report back.

Juha

ajobbins

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#33119 16-Apr-2006 20:30

I also had a client who had an old HP parallel which wasn't very XP compatible so when they upgraded their PC to an XP machine they picked up a mid range canon thing. The Canon lasted about 6 weeks before it was on Trade Me for about an eighth of what the got it for and it was straight to a USB HP, and they have been very happy ever since

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paradoxsm

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#33120 16-Apr-2006 20:30

It CANNOT be a L.I.D.E. or similar LED system.
They are rubbish, Almost all MFC printer combo's have them.

You must go for a scanner with a Cold Cathode light,,
the light stays on most of the time
Looks like a small fluro tube,
lamp needs to "warm up"
Scanner will be quite a bit thicker, cannot be one of those razor thin things IE, Canon LIDE ones

I saw the HP Photosmart 3310 had a slide/negative scanning system in it too. Software seems bloated but you can choose what to install, (like just the drivers)

Good luck and let us know what you buy!

juha

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#33121 16-Apr-2006 20:35

Thanks! Scanners aren't something I've worked with much so appreciate the the advice.

Juha

tonyhughes

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#33123 16-Apr-2006 20:55

My printing/scanning/faxing needs are seldom, and high quality is not required. I have a Brother MFC210c - its small, fits in my slide-out scanner tray on my computer desk, was only $199 (I think you can get them for $179 nowadays, or $149 without fax). Consumables are reasonable price too.

Brother software install is a cow of a thing though... bloat and extras you cant opt out of. Have to clean system out after an install!

Have tried some high quality scans, slow though, and quality not up there... great for family snapshots etc, but not "art" or "graphics work"...

mercera13

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#33148 17-Apr-2006 09:40

yea we have to scanners a canoscan and a epson one thats with our printer they both work verywell

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lyonrouge

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#33198 17-Apr-2006 17:59

adamj: Well i've always been impressed with HP scanners, and the software too. I'm using a Brother MFC at the moment, which is OK, but I do like the HP's better

I've had IBM (erk), Brother and now USB Canon (3000F), cheap, quick, quiet with sensible and stable software that is easy to use. Nicely, also has auto cropping for photos and negative scanning if you are that way inclined.