Scanner Reviews

the GOOD: lightweight, small, cheap, no power cord...the BAD: scans the flattest paper, 99.9% paper only! horrible software! FOR: beginners and only those scanning the flattest objects!

i got the CanoScan N650U because of such overwhelming positive reviews, then i bought it and tried it - easy to install and started scanning. it is NOT AS GOOD as the majority online says it is. from the reviews i read, it was suppose to be quiet, fast and easy to use. well...it's not exactly that. i even contacted Canon, who said they would reply back with help in 2-3 days; it's been over a week.

it's almost louder than my old scanner, a Umax Astra 1220S and crashes alot more on Window2000! the N650U scans at a good speed, though i had hoped faster for USB. while i do admire it's size and design, i despise it's scanning program and even it's scanning ability, or lack of i should say.

the N650U only scans well if you have a perfectly flat object [99.9% paper material] on the surface. if u do not have a flat object and you scan, u will get the blurrest image!!! i'm talking about the slightest wrinkle in the paper, and the N650U will see it as a BIG blur! this scanner is ONLY for the flattest object, dont think of using it for magazines that are creased or such, you will get blurs at the crease.

compared to my 1220S, the N650U is a lost cause! the photos scanned do not appear as clear as my 1220S and have white specks on the scans, even after i cleaned the glass surface! while the N650U saves space, it doesn't save the user from agony and professional use. it is overall a waste of money unless you are a pre-beginner at scanning and only scan flat paper images, which turn out decent.

my 1220S does a good job of scanning everything! flat objects and 3D objects! the only reason i thought of buying another scanner is because i wanted to use the USB port rather than a SCSI port. and that my scanner is bulky compared to the N650U...but now that i've tried another scanner that seemed really nice but wasnt, i am definitely returning the N650U, then either stay with my old scanner or buy another brand.

while the N650U looks beautiful on your desktop, it's not quite useful enough for a true designer working with graphics, drawings, etc. and for under 100$, there is NO such thing as high quality in this scanner. better to try another brand [first] and compare the results.

I had this scanner for a couple years. I thought it worked really good. I used it mainly for scanning pictures, and they were very sharp. Then one day the glass shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces with no apparent explaination.

I am very impressed with this scanner. It is my first, so I don't have much to compare it to, but it worked extremely well once I figured a few things out. One thing you should be aware of; since this unit is powered only through the USB cable, Canon strongly recommends that you do not use a longer cable than the one supplied with the scanner. It's about 5' long, which should be long enough for most. Also, as others have stated, it should only be connected to a direct USB port on your computer.(not a hub, or "daisy chained" with other USB devices). Instalation was easy. Just follow the instructions in order. The software is easy to learn if you have the time to play with it. I didn't, so I went to Arcsoft's web site and downloaded the manual. My first scan was a 3.5" x 5" color photo. I set the res at 600 dpi. It took a LONG time. Then I realized I had the scan size set at 8.5" X 11" (duh). It was scanning the entire flatbed. Once I adjusted the scan size, it scanned the same photo, at the same res, in only about 20 seconds. And it's whisper quiet. I have read others complain that that it won't scan 3-D objects well at all. It probably wont. It uses entirely different technology than older "brighter" scanners which need a separate power cord. I don't see this as a problem for me, as 99% of my scans will be photos or text pages. I would recomed this product to anyone.

All the pros that you've read about are true: featherlight, easy to use, simple software, no power cord or adapter, good quality scans (if you're not a professional photographer with exacting standards). I'm a genealogist, and this scanner was going to be heaven for me: I could take it to the courthouse or library and scan in original documents then and there.

The cons are unfortunately true as well: my scanner quit working after just 2 weeks. The OS continues to acknowledge that a scanner is attached via USB, but the photo and OCR programs can't find it, and it no longer lights up when first plugged in. Canon's website lacks any troubleshooting or discussion of possibly faulty equipment and what to do about it, and if you've been reading other reviews, you know that there is no toll-free support center.

If you're lucky, you'll get a good scanner that's truly portable and easy to setup and use. But it's a gamble, and if you're unlucky, you have few options to recover your money. Buyer beware!

It works great so far since I purchased this scanner two weeks ago from local Staples even though my computer is 3 years old NEC Ready 340T AMD300MHz running Windows 98. It is connected through usb hub with self-powered mode. I scanned a 4x6 color photo at 300dpi. It took only 25 seconds. Scanned image was good enough for home casual user. If you really want to get professional quality scanned color photo image, you should get real photo scanner ... . I scanned some art work, poster, pictures from art magazine. Scanned images were really sharp. If you are not satisfied with color, you can easily adjust with using photo editing software. I use Corel Photo-Paint 9. My friend who is professional graphic designer was impressed by the result. I guess that you have to know how to use it before complaining. ... I definitely recommend it.

Pros: Very small size. Can store vertically with the stand included. Z-lid for bulky scans. Easy to use.

Cons: When looking at the scan on the computer screen sometimes they look horrible, but when printed they look great!! This is the Canon software that is included, not the scanner.

You can't get any better for this price. I wanted an entry level scanner to scan CD covers. This was a perfect choice. I even forgot I have it sometimes because I store is vertically against my monitor so it takes up hardly any space. I love this scanner and it hasn't given me any trouble at all. I love the metallic grey/blue color too!!

Canon's new LiDE 30 is certainly a step up in overall image quality when compared to other slimline scanners, especially for under ... I was surprised at how good this scanner was for the price. Canon's adjustable Z-lid feature, a much-needed scanner improvement, is a must if you scan from bulky sources like books or magazines. All photo and text scans made were very crisp and accurate. (Poorer photos will need futher software manipulation to improve their quality beyond the originals.) No power cord--power drawn through the USB cable from the computer--and the lightweight portability of this scanner make it ideal for use with laptops. It can even be set up vertically if space is a problem. The only real drawback to the Canon LiDE 30 is that's it's a bit slow--20 seconds (approx.) for a 4" x 5" photo. Still, in this price range and for a 1200 x 2400 scanner, that's faster than most of the other models at this price. Like most included software packages, the software that comes with the LiDE 30 is adequate for most home uses--though no doubt some can benefit from other scanner software packages available in the aftermarket. If your scanning needs are modest-to-moderate, and your budget demands tight, this is definitely the scanner for you. The best, bar none, in terms of over all quality in this price range that's been offered to consumers up to now.

...The product itself worked as the manufacturer described it. Not a single problem occured during my installation (WinXP), and the included pieces of software more than covered all my scanning needs. The product lived up to its promise to EASILY scan and e-mail, edit, and convert the scanned image to word processing text.

It is extremely light and very easy to carry from location to location, and that was another great plus. It's ability to stand upright for those tight desk spaces is another feature I enjoy.

My only complaint (and I use that word lightly) is the noise the scanner makes when it scans. I've not been around many scanners, but the ones I've heard are quieter than this product. I'd say the sound level is comparable to an inkjet printer pulling paper from its paper tray.

Also, even after reinstalling the related software, the three buttons on the scanner don't work. I'm currently looking at the Canon website to see if I can get a more updated driver that would fix this problem. For now, I'm using the included software to do the scanning.

All-in-all, I highly recommend that you purchase this scanner if you're for a 'more bang for the buck' scanner and low on the budget. However, for those of you who are professional artist and/or photographers, you might want to consider looking at more flashy scanners for your requirements; this product wasn't exactly blazing when scanning full-blown colored graphics....Mine was also a brand new product too, not refurbished, used, or "like-new" either. Regardless, it's still worth the price for new scanner owners and/or practical/common use.

Highly recommended.

Get Lide 80 if you need a really top-of-the-line scanner without buying a mountain of machinery, but even with the throw-away deal on Lide 30, you'll do just fine for home scanning needs.

Don't let the compact design fool you, Canon's Lide series blows the competition out of the water with its crisp, swift scans. It connects through a USB 2.0 connector, so you don't need an AC adapter etc, in English, this means no additional guzzling of electricity. The bundled software (ScanGear toolbox) installs easily and you can be scanning in no more than 10 minutes.

If you're looking for something equally excellent in quality but with a slightly lower price point, and don't mind somewhat healthier body, try Epson Perfection 1670, but otherwise Canon Lide series is among the best your money can buy.

Since buying this nice looking piece when it first came out, I have actually NEVER had it working properly under Windows 2000. It has limped along, and at times I have found ways to work around it's consistently inconsistent behavior. When it works, as one reviewer said, it is a rather nice scanner to use BUT that is the trick.... get it to function first. Every so often, after a relatively smooth spell, I get the error saying that it is unable to find or open the TWAIN source. To this problem, there seems to be NO definite solution. I am a tweaker.... everything IS installed properly and up to date. The Canon website is NO HELP. I'll un-install and re-install, as recommended, and will get the same error for hours on end, more re-installs, USB re-installs, all related software un/re-installed, registry cleaning, etc... NOTHING works! Some time ago, while still under warranty, Canon tech support, having exhausted all possibilities, decided it was a "rare flawed hardware" problem.... so they sent me a new N1220U scanner in exchange... ha! I got the same errors with the new one until it finally worked after more tedious tweakings by me... alone. How it was resolved is still a mystery to me. It worked OK, for a little while... about a year. It scanned well that is until, as is the case now... I simply have to walk away. The dreaded TWAIN error has appeared out of nowhere again and I am simply tired of trying to fix it. I will NEVER again buy another Canon product out of principle. I will gladly throw this piece of junk away after crushing it in my bare hands later on this week.
My recommendation: Buy yourself a different scanner! ANYTHING would be better than this! If I could rate this with 1/2 a star, I would.

This scanner is absolutely unbelievable. When it came out of the box, I was surprised to see that it really is just slightly larger than a pad of paper. Following the very simple directions, I plugged it into my USB port, ran the included software CD, and that was it - I was up and scanning in maybe 10 minutes!

The scans themselves look terrific, even at 75 dpi. When I scanned one picture at the maximum resolution (1,200 x 2,400 dpi) just to see what it would look like, it almost came out too well - it picked up my fingerprint and an eyelash on the glass!

With limited space on the computer desk, I especially like the stand that comes with this scanner, allowing you to store (and to actually scan with) the unit on its side, like a thin paperback book on your shelf. The software that comes with it is excellent as well - it includes Adobe Photoshop 5.0 Limited Edition, Omni Page Pro (for optical character recognition, to turn your scanned documents into text files for use in your word processor), and Photo Studio. All work seamlessly with the scanner, popping up automatically just when you need them.

Other great features about this scanner include the fact that it does not need its own power source (it gets its power from the USB plug), and that the lid is hinged in such a way as to allow you to scan thicker objects and books. The price is terrific too, being a good bit lower than that of many other bulky scanners offering much less resolution.

A few days ago I did have to call the Canon Customer Service number once, at midnight (I was surprised to hear a real human answer the phone). A nice Customer Service rep helped me very quickly. He didn't even laugh when I discovered that my problem was that I had accidentally knocked loose the USB plug connecting the scanner to the computer! (Uh, must've been the cat....) :)

It is a very nice surprise in this day and age when you feel that you actually get more than you pay for. Thank you Canon!

I thoroughly researched scanners before I selected the CanoScan N122OU. Several brands and models included the high resolution output which I need for my photography hobby work, but the deciding factors for this model for me were:

1) It is very thin and lightweight -- PLUS it stores vertically on my desk.
(My older scanner was heavy, big, and took up LOTS of room.)
2) I had confidence in the Canon brand - and still do.

Having made the choice, I have had no regrets. It has been easy to set up and use (I can even use it while it is in its vertical position - quite a handy feature that I didn't realize it offered when I was making my selection.)

I am pleased and would recommend this to anyone needing a high quality, easy-to-use and easy-to-store scanner.

This wonderful piece of technology really makes life easier! You can install it on your PC in a couple of minutes simply by following the instructions. It comes with a photo-editing software that you can use without consulting a manual. The digital pictures are crisp and the colors are nothing but stunning. The software makes it easy to scan photos at a high resolution and save them as files with a lower resolution if you want to email them to friends and relatives, or upload them onto your webpage.

If you are an old-fashioned photographer who is not yet fully convinced of the quality of digital photos, but you nevertheless want to use the internet to send photos, this scanner is an excellent choice.

Like another CanoScan poster here, I too have a pretty bad case of USB Peripheralphobia. My USB ports have been crunchy at best. But this Canoscan N1240U scanner was ridiculously easy to install and use. From plugging in the cable to popping in the CD-ROM and loading the software to scanning my first photo, elapsed time was about six minutes--and that included a restart. The scan was ridiculously simple--a little slow, but hey, my home office is not a service bureau--and the images are STUNNING. A host of image-editing tools are available within the scanning program, PhotoStudio. The scanner also came with Adobe Photoshop Elements and OmniPage OCR software. A separate CD-ROM is dedicated to Windows XP users.

I am thrilled to death with this product. And with the new lower price, don't pass it up! I did a good deal of comparison shopping on this model, and the best price is right here.

Just got this scanner. It is simply amazing. The best scanner I have ever tested. It is very fast, has only a USB connection (no extra cables), and is very light. The setup is very simple and it was up and running in 10 minutes (after software installation). No problems whatsoever. The software that comes with it is very simple to use. Adobe Photoshop Elements comes bundled with it, which is a very very good program... In comparison to other scanners, like those heavy duty Umax and Epson scanners, this Canon scanner beats them all. It is faster, lighter (has the option of keeping it vertical to save desk space), and comes with better software.

I have tried to scan in pictures, text, graphs, forms, etc. It works perfectly. It has also this wonderful option, called OCR, which allows you to scan in a text document and edit it in MS Word. The 3 buttons on the scanner can be adjusted to your needs so if you are always scanning in high quality pictures you can select which button to use for that. The standard setting is scan for saving, scan for printing, and scan for email.

The best thing about this scanner in my opinion is how fast it is. The scanners I have been using, Epson and Umax (brand new scanners in my university) are very slow compared to this one.

I have it connected to a HP pavilion with windows 98SE and it works fine. I was told that it could be resource intensive since it gets the electricity through the USB connection, but I have used it with as many as 6 programs open and it works fine. In fact my computer has never crashed using the scanner...although it has often crashed.

Would recommend this scanner to everyone

I purchased this unit a little over a year ago and have only used it about 3 times but now it doesn't work right at all. Maybe from lack of use?

I like Canon products in general(I have their i950 printer, a Canon camcorder, & a Canon copier), however this scanner should have lasted longer so I'm not satisfied with it and would probably pick a different brand next time.

We ordered this scanner through a special priced Amazon.com "gold box" offer for under $. We wanted to be able to make prints from old negatives, and the Cannon was highly rated. We are thrilled! We're having loads of fun!

--The colors scan very true.
--It scans a bit slower than my old H-P scanner, but this is just home use, not for production. And it is compatible with the new, faster USB2 connection, but I haven't yet sprung for the USB2 installation (I think it's around .
--The adapter is for 35mm negatives and slides, but I've even been able to make prints from old 110's. These very old, small negatives take more treatment in Photoshop to get them to look acceptable, and the finished product is not quite as good as the 35mm, but I don't think that Canon even claims that the product will handle these old odd-sized negatives.
--The software that comes with the Canoscan is worth the price of admission! It comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements, plus programs for storing photos in digital scrapbooks, showing them as a slide show, and a handy printing program which allows you to quickly and easily arrange any number of photos on a page for printing.

I've been able to scan in old photos that were too dark to display, and using Photoshop Elements, remove imperfections, tweak the colors, and balance the brightness and contrast and end up with a fine picture enlarged for framing.

Thanks to Canon for making a fine product, to Adobe for a great, easy to use program for working with negatives and photos, and to Amazon.com for bringing it to me at a great price! Quickly!

After reading other folks' reviews on scanners and seeing all the problems they had with cheap ones, I decided to spend a bit more for something better. It was a good decision: the CanoScan D1250U2F has exceeded my expectations.

Software and hardware installation was straight forward, and the documentation is clear and simple. An important factor in my decision to buy the Canon was its inclusion of Adobe Photoshop Elements -- it is very intuitive software, powerful, and it interfaces well with the scanner.

Color rendition is excellent, and scanned photos appear well-balanced and clean. On my computer (running Windows XP, 1.8GHz, 384MB RAM) scanning at moderate resolutions is reasonably quick and downloads are prompt, even though I'm running with the USB 1.1 driver and not 2.0. Scanning a 3x5 photo at 600DPI takes about 15-20 seconds, maybe 10-15 seconds at 300DPI. A lot of that time is the scanner "adjusting the lamp" before the actual scan.

The film and slide scanning apparatus is easy to use and produces passable results. The images can be contrasty and the colors somewhat subdued, but in this price range I don't expect professional slide scanning. At 2400DPI it makes an image fairly close to the resolution of the film and is certainly good enough for most email-the-photo and web publishing applications.

The scanner also comes with optical character recognition (OCR) software, which works, although I did not find it intuitive. Also, the OCR software makes some bizarre decisions, especially concerning spelling correction, and seems eager to take control of the scanner, initiating scans at unexpected times.

Aside from the puzzling OCR software, if I wanted to be nit-picky I'd say the lid hinges are a bit flimsy, and the buttons on the front of the scanner are pointless. In my opinion it would be a better product if they removed the buttons from the front and put a power switch on the back. But that's all just nits... The scanner does a great job overall.

PROS: I needed a cheap scanner that will let me scan old 35mm slides. At the same time, I didn't want to buy just a photo scanner which had no use after my personal project. I was very impressed with the quality and didn't need to use higher resolution then 1200 which is about 2Meg file size. I also had some old color positives and black and white negatives which I was able to convert into digital images. Great for multipurpose.

CONS: I scanned about 400+ 35mm slides and notice that the software is a little buggy.
1. Sometimes after a scan when I would go to switch to the save/view window, the window would not popup and I had to scan again.
2. After scanning multiple slides about 50 I went to save them and got a "not enough disc space error". I didn't have the option to make space, it just exited out and I lost all my work.
3. Sometimes scanning a few slides it wouldn't properly align the borders. I had to rescan or scan one by one.

I've been tremendously happy with the quality of the scans from the Perfection 2400. If all you need to do is make 640x480 scans for the www from prints you made at the local 1-hour, this is more scanner than you'll ever need.

However, scan resolution is sufficient to make brilliant 8x10 prints from 35mm negatives/slides. The included Epson software leaves a little to be desired -- it won't, for example, install on an alternative partition on your disk. Also, you will certainly have to use a photo manipulation application to tweak the levels and colour curves before you get your pictures right. But spend a little time to learn how your scanner works, and you'll have smashing pictures in a short time.

If you're adept at working image manipulation programs (Photoshop Elements 1.1 (not the new 2.0) is included with this product; but I have been happier with the freely available GIMP), you'll have professional scans at a fraction of what it used to cost not so long ago.

I wanted to scan a large number of slides, specifically some slides for my mom for her for a christmas gift. I did extensive investigation into several scanners, including a scanner that was exclusively a slide and negative film scanner. I ended up choosing this Epson model and I have been extremely happy with it. It is very easy to use. On the manual setting, you can preview the slides and then alter their brightness and contrast before scanning them. I've set the image quality merely to 1200 dpi, and the images have come out with fantastic clarity and detail, and yet the bitmap file sizes are a reasonable 5MB (and for those folks who don't have great amounts of hard drive space available, compressed jpeg files are another option).

The scanner has done a fine job of scanning regular prints as well.

I bought this scanner after doing a very large amount of research. Time and again, this scanner popped up among the best. Upon throroughly testing the scanner, I'd say the reviews were right. Great color scans, fast, and works well with my Windows 98 computer. ONLY ONE SERIOUS, SERIOUS PROBLEM: When I bought this scanner, the glass had particles UNDERNEATH. That means that every scan of a photo you take appears with dust, etc. ON the photo. Sure, you can take software & clean this mess up, but do you know how much of a PAIN it is after only 2 photos?! I returned the scanner & replaced with the same model. Maybe it was just that first scanner, right? WRONG AGAIN. Again, the same issues arose with particles underneath the glass! Worse yet, the bottom side of the glass had "WINDOW SMEARS", such as when you clean your glass windows at home! Ok...maybe it was the store? Right? So I went to another store (online) and bought the 3rd one of these. AGAIN, SAME PROBLEM! THUS: 3 Epson 1240U scanners came ALL with dust & other unknown particles!

In all, I wasted about 6 weeks between, returns and credit card crediting for 3 scanners. Don't get me wrong, this a fantastic scanner, yet these quality problems of having particles underneath the glass is unacceptable! I'm not being hard on this product either. Out of all the brands I've used, this particular model (perhaps even the entire line?) has some serious issues. If you do get this scanner, make sure that you don't have this problem--the ODDS will definitely be against you. Good Luck! ...

I just received this scanner a few days ago and I'm very impressed. The image quality is astounding. It's also very fast, taking a mere 7 seconds to do a full area preview and 10 seconds (not including seek time) to scan a 4x6 color photo at 300 dpi.

Setup was simple and straightforward, and the supplied documentation was ample, covering both setup and use of the scanner as well as installation of the various software packages. After hearing about the problems with the copier software and HP printers, I downloaded and installed the patch from the Epson support site before even using the scanner for the first time. I have an HP DeskJet 722c and so far there have been no problems, and the one-button copier feature has worked flawlessly.

Are there problems with this Epson scanner? Yes, but they're more annoyances than anything else. First off, there's no on/off button. The manual says to unplug the scanner after use. C'mon Epson, you can do better than that... It's not critical that the scanner be turned off however, as after a few minutes it goes into "sleep" mode and all that's left is the telltale green LED saying the unit is on. Also, the manual says to position your document about a quarter inch from the edge of the scanner bed as there is a small area that the scanner doesn't read (in other words, don't push your document or photo to the plastic "stop" at the edge of the glass). This fault is offset, however, by the scanner's very cool ability to locate and align a document automatically. Yes, it's true: put a photograph anywhere on the bed, and even if it's crooked the scanner will find it, scan it, and automatically rotate it to square it up!

All in all, this scanner is worth every penny and I highly recommend it if you're looking for an upper-end home scanner.

This scanner replaces an old UMAX scsi scanner. From setup to first scan this scanner is a breeze. My wife uses it everyday and it hasn't given her one problem. It's fast, reliable and worth every penny.

I bought this scanner after doing a very large amount of research. Time and again, this scanner popped up among the best. Upon throroughly testing the scanner, I'd say the reviews were right. Great color scans, fast, and works well with my Windows 98 computer. ONLY ONE SERIOUS, SERIOUS PROBLEM: When I bought this scanner, the glass had particles UNDERNEATH. That means that every scan of a photo you take appears with dust, etc. ON the photo. Sure, you can take software & clean this mess up, but do you know how much of a PAIN it is after only 2 photos?! I returned the scanner & replaced with the same model. Maybe it was just that first scanner, right? WRONG AGAIN. Again, the same issues arose with particles underneath the glass! Worse yet, the bottom side of the glass had "WINDOW SMEARS", such as when you clean your glass windows at home! Ok...maybe it was the store? Right? So I went to another store (online) and bought the 3rd one of these. AGAIN, SAME PROBLEM! THUS: 3 Epson 1240U scanners came ALL with dust & other unknown particles!

In all, I wasted about 6 weeks between, returns and credit card crediting for 3 scanners. Don't get me wrong, this a fantastic scanner, yet these quality problems of having particles underneath the glass is unacceptable! I'm not being hard on this product either. Out of all the brands I've used, this particular model (perhaps even the entire line?) has some serious issues. If you do get this scanner, make sure that you don't have this problem--the ODDS will definitely be against you. Good Luck! ...

I just received this scanner a few days ago and I'm very impressed. The image quality is astounding. It's also very fast, taking a mere 7 seconds to do a full area preview and 10 seconds (not including seek time) to scan a 4x6 color photo at 300 dpi.

Setup was simple and straightforward, and the supplied documentation was ample, covering both setup and use of the scanner as well as installation of the various software packages. After hearing about the problems with the copier software and HP printers, I downloaded and installed the patch from the Epson support site before even using the scanner for the first time. I have an HP DeskJet 722c and so far there have been no problems, and the one-button copier feature has worked flawlessly.

Are there problems with this Epson scanner? Yes, but they're more annoyances than anything else. First off, there's no on/off button. The manual says to unplug the scanner after use. C'mon Epson, you can do better than that... It's not critical that the scanner be turned off however, as after a few minutes it goes into "sleep" mode and all that's left is the telltale green LED saying the unit is on. Also, the manual says to position your document about a quarter inch from the edge of the scanner bed as there is a small area that the scanner doesn't read (in other words, don't push your document or photo to the plastic "stop" at the edge of the glass). This fault is offset, however, by the scanner's very cool ability to locate and align a document automatically. Yes, it's true: put a photograph anywhere on the bed, and even if it's crooked the scanner will find it, scan it, and automatically rotate it to square it up!

All in all, this scanner is worth every penny and I highly recommend it if you're looking for an upper-end home scanner.

This scanner replaces an old UMAX scsi scanner. From setup to first scan this scanner is a breeze. My wife uses it everyday and it hasn't given her one problem. It's fast, reliable and worth every penny.

I haven't had any problems with the Epson Perfection 1660 Photo since I purchased it earlier this year. It is running on a Windows XP PC utilizing the USB 2.0 port, and it's speedy. Scan quality is very nice, and the drivers haven't caused any crashes. However, I make a habit of downloading the latest drivers from manufacturer websites when buying a new accessory instead of relying on the CD, which is usually outdated by the time of purchase.

The only caveats I have are the following: 1) it is quite large and will need a lot of desk space (although this adds to the sturdy feel), and 2) the included software is somewhat clunky and non-intuitive. Instead I use a document management program (Paperport 9.0), which is much easier to work with.

I purchased the 1660 scanner at Costco ... because of the slide and film scanner function. The initial installation left me with no option for scanning slides, so I was ready to return it.

After accessing support.epson.com and choosing "scanners" and then "Perfection 1660", I downloaded and installed the driver update for MS Windows 98 and XP, which presented a new slide option, called TPU (Transparancy Unit). After installation, three choices appear in addition to the "Flatbed" Document Source: "Color Neg Film," "Monochrome Neg Film," and "Pos Film." Choosing one of these activates the flourescent lamp on the lid, which illuminates the slides and filmstrips. Of course, you must remove the white cover from inside of the lid to reveal the 2" by 11" centered illumination screen, and place the four-slide plastic insert on the scanning glass.

The software "SmartPanel" allows a preview scan and individual slide image rotation (I had to learn which way is "up", and allows choice of tiff, jpg, etc, and destination file--or you can fax, email, or publish each picture to the web.

All of this information is in the "Scanner Reference
Guide" (the electronic Manual), which is why so many reviewers complain that there is no physical manual. I have sympathy for you who could not install from the cd-rom (since you cannot read what is not installed!), but if you want to make copies of slides and 35 mm filmstrips, the Epson Perfection 1660 is definitely the best value available. MHG and Viren P reviewers (10-13-02 and 10-26-02) rated this Epson above other Epsons and the Microtek, and I agree.

I have both Win 98 and XP operating systems and installation was flawless with both.

I bought this scanner in a hurry to complete a project. In turned into being a better scanner than my expensive one.

It installs quickly and the software that is provided with it is adequate or you can use your own software easily. If you are planning on scanning mostly text you may want to get a better OCR software product. The scanner does a great job and then it is up to the character recognition software to finish the job.

If you scan a photograph and print on quality paper it it does the job of a photo scanner. Everything I have scanned with this scanner from text to photographs is high quality.

I am considering buying a second one at the price that is offered. It's a DEAL.