Scanner Reviews

Really slow, low quality, crappy software and no power switch. And good luck getting technical support! My emails got bounced and I could not get through on the phone. Oh, and Epson offers you a "free" web space to post your photos... I read the fine print and it says that you lose your rights to pictures you post! Epson can claim your photos as its own and use them without even acknowledging you, let alone compensating you. So here's the summary: bad product, bad service, and they try to take your photos for themselves!

I have had a this scanner for a week and find it to be adequate for most of my scanning needs, however I did have a problem with the installation of the Epson Smart Panel software on my XP system. If I had not had to spend 45min manually editing my registry and destroying all traces of the software because the Install wizard would not properly uninstall the product (and yes, you can not install the Smart Panel software if the auto install program detects a previous version), I would have rated this product with 4 stars. It has a good value for the price if you are willing to deal with potential flaky install scripts.

Side note: I am not sure what flaming reviewers has to do with this product but as there is one here I feel compelled to state that my XP skill set is ADVANCED and RTFM would not have been of any help if first reviewer had the same issue I did (assuming of course that he followed the instructions to close all open programs and kill anti-virus scanners).

Nice scanner for the price. My needs were not major so it fits my need perfect.
The only minor problem I have had is making copies. Sometimes when I have several pages to copy, it stops after a copy. But I just power it off and back on and it's fine.

For the love of God, do not buy this printer. I have nearly broken my knuckles several times after taking out my frusterations upon it. This thing only prints when it feels like it, or else the paper will get jammed. Sometimes it'll take 10 sheets of paper in at a time. It's just un-reliable and I just wanted to save you all the trouble of buying this multifunction piece of non-printing trash. Thank you.

I have had my Xerox All-In-One for over 2 years now and absolutely love it. I had a temporary problem with the paper feed, but it cleared up and I have not had any problems since. It is a great machine and extremely convenient. Only down side to me is that it prints just a little too slow for my liking.

The install disk would not install the unit. It took me 3 days of fussing over it. I finally went to the Xerox website and downloaded drivers needed to install it, only to find out that I had to install the scanner features seperately! Now, all is installed and working. However, when I power down my computer, it sometimes turns itself back on. I will come home from work to find my computer on. I have compared the printing to my Epson Stylus Color 440 and there is no comparison. This machine prints beautifully! Love the product, hated the install.

I've just started scanning film, and after setup, this scanner is very simple to operate. However, if you are either inexperienced with installing hardware and/or software, or are looking to scan slides, I would suggest a different scanner. Personally, I believe a flatbed with a film scanning adapter is comprable in quality.

I do have Windows 2000, and managed to get this scanner working on it, although it claims it doesn't have the components to install the driver on my OS. But that's definitely not something you want to deal with, if you can help it.

You need to have photo editing software to adjust the scans properly. It sometimes has the tendency to turn out a little orange.

Software included: Acquisition program, Adobe Photoshop Limited Edition (an extremely LIMITED edition), Presto! PhotoAlbum, Presto! Mr. Photo (basically, to arrange your personal photos- I did not install them, so cannot recommend).

Good product (3 stars) but no driver available for use with Windows XP. I found this out when I moved from a Windows '98 system to an XP system. Planned obsolescence from our friends at Canon.

I have had this scanner for a year adn a half and have put nearly 5000 slides through it. I am happy with the overall quality of the scans for what I paid for this. I use this as a proofing tool-- I only get my negatives developed (when I shoot prints) and then scan them to proof them. Or if I shoot slides and want to put them on the internet or retouch them. The scanner will make up to an 8x12 at 400dpi. which is okay. Again you must look at what you are paying. The neat scratch removing features that the upper models have would be nice but again repeating for the price this is a great little scanner. I have been happy. I even got it to work in XP but it did take some research. Info for installing in XP or 2000 can be found [online.]

The Copy Utility software does not work in WinXP. Apparently there is a conflict with the twain and twunk files that Windows uses. After 7+ hours...on my dime...with advanced tech support they gave up and said they can't do anything about the problem. The copy program is unusable and they said "too bad".
They don't have an 800 number so you must pay to get their problems fixed.
The Abby OCR program only works half the time. Many documents come out with gibberish on them. Poor program.

Epson quality has definitely gone downhill. Will never buy another Epson product again.

Let me start with a disclaimer- all I want out of a scanner is fast scanning of B&W/gray scale material in an office environment. I have bought/tested several suposedly fast scanners and I have been disappointed (the Canon I bought thinks about scanning for 45 seconds, then it scans!)Well the Epson delivers- scanning at 200 dpi I can do partial pages in 5-6 seconds and full pages in 12 seconds (that's from the time you press scan to the end) You can bypass the preview mode and send the scans directly to a program or file. The software has good (you can save all the scan settings for different scans) and bad points (it seems basackwards sometimes-ex. some features only activate after you do a preview scan)
Can't comment on other features i don't use but for $$$ this is a speed demon!

Working on a compact budget, I was looking for something I could use to scan photos, negatives, and slides that would approach quality amateur level.

For photo scans, I was impressed by the speed, the quality was average or slightly better than average.

For slide scans, I found that if you have an image with a lot of black or very dark space, the scanner/software gets confused and it took several tries to get it right; sometimes, it wouldn't happen at all. Otherwise, slide scanning was fine. Nothing to write home about, but adequate.

I've had much better luck with film negative scans. Colors come out rich and detail is fine. The higher resolutions take forever, but the results are worth it.

I tried playing with the three different software settings: full-on automatic, pro, and home use. I haven't bothered with the automatic mode, it was too restrictive. The professional setting is more trouble than it's worth, for the most part. Great if you want to play around with colors and such for the fun of it, but trying to use it for color correction was more of a hassle. The 'home' setting works best for me 95% of the time.

There are better scanners out there, but for the price, this is a fine little machine.

I bought the HP Scanjet 3500c 2 weeks ago (Christmas 2002) and found it did a great job scanning black and white drawings.

The Scanjet driver software looks very similar to the HP Scanjet II software but the implementation of this "modern" release made using the scanner slow and a chore both via the TWAIN interface or the included HP software. This software was obviously thrown over the wall and into production without any thought to making life easy for the user.

The major problem with the software is how it will automatically crop black and white (BW) documents incorrectly. I had to hand reset each page after a preview or I'll end up cutting off the upper margin of the page and scanning the cover on the bottom. Yes HP, the auto-crop check box is unchecked.

I scan mostly BW documents. I want to set the scanner to scan 8.5x11 every time and simply can't. I have to manually reset the scan area EVERY page. So the software is half baked but at least it didn't crash. I would have kept the scanner if that was the only problem I could report.

I was playing around with different originals and stumbled across a serious problem when scanning originals at 600 or greater. The RED color channel is stuck "on" 100%. This causes the photos to have a serious reddish hue to them (or BW scans using the RED channel to be all white). This only happens when the resolution is set at 600 or greater. Is this a HP hardware or a HP driver problem? I don't know but it's serious. The HP web site is no help and has not updated the 3500c drivers in the 4 months since release v1.0 was chucked out the door.

The software annoyances, red channel problem, and 90 day warranty made me decide not to chance exchanging the scanner for another HP an being left hanging after 90 days while other manufacture's backup their products for a full year.

I returned the scanner and will not purchase anything HP (to include Compaq now that they've merged with HP) that has to do with PC's (I was witness to a bad HP Pavilion computer experience 4 years ago) or photo imaging. Somewhere between the Scanjet II and today HP made their software harder to use, is content to ship products rushed to market, and reduced their warranty to 90 days.

Ok, The scanner says 48bit color. It only scans 24bit. There are no settings anywhere to access the full range of 48 bit. (yes I know there are only a few packages that support more bit depth but photoshop is one of them).
Next, you can't scan multiple docs from within photoshop. The dialog box closes down between scans. It also doesn't remember your scan settings. Everytime you open the software it has some funky default scan settings that trash your image. Every utility included with the package has it's own default settings.

When buying a new scanner, (Finally decideding to buy a new one after using the same sloooowwwww TWAIN one for 6 years), quality and speed were the top factors, along with price. Simply put, for the price of this scanner, this is the one to go with.

First of all, you insert the cd-rom software and it automatically sets up. I've seen many reviews that claim the software is bad and hard to use. I didn't have one problem at all, in fact, this was one of the easiest installlations I've ever done. Always check that you're computer is compatablie with whatever hardware you purchase. That will save a lot of crying and whining on your part.

This scanner is a BREEZE to use. 3 buttons on the front direct your scan to email, your hard drive, or your printer. One touch scanner can't get much easier. And it's FAST. To preview the scan, it takes about 2 seconds. After cropping the area of the scan you want and finializing it, the time it takes will vary depending on which DPI setting you have set, but at the average 300 DPI, it takes only about 10-12 seconds.

The DPI seetings range all the way up to 19200. The quality is EXTREMELY impresseive.

Another handy feautre is scanning a doucment with editable text. Say you scan a magazine article. You can scan it as a PDF file and edit the text very easily.

With USB connectivity, setting up the scanner is fast and easy. The software couldn't be simpler. VERY user friendly and easy to use. Within 3 minutes of set-up, I was scanning away.

All in all, I am very satisfied with this scanner. I would highly reccomend it to anyone who's looking for a fast, easy to use, and high quality scanner. And with the price that this scanner is set at, this makes it a top pick.

I'll have to dispose it soon. It is completely unsuitable for my Linux desktop and I've given up to find its drivers. The manufacturer neither provides a driver nor disclose tech spec to let others to write it. In short words: don't buy it for whatever OS except Windoze. (Well, 1 star can be earned for at least working under MS-OSes).

I am a web developer and bought this scanner a few years ago ... when I was new to the computing world. The scanner works great if...
1. You are not running Windows XP
2. You do not want advance scanning options
3. You need 42 bit color and 600 x 1200
4. You do not to scan photos to print (Photo Printer is 1200 x 1200)
5. You do not need to scan negatives or slides.

If you are planning on using the scanner to archive family photos on a website, I would HIGHLY reccomend the scanner to you because of its price and very simple installation. If you are planning on using it for professional work or for printing photos, I would reccomend going a step higher for a better quality scanner. One downfall is the cords! The usb cord is built into the scanner is about 2.5 feet long. It is very hard to use unless you have a USB hub or a USB extention cable. The power cable is also very short (3 ft.). The software provided with the scanner is NOT native to windows XP and every time I plug my scanner in, my system has to go through the recognition process which is a pain. The scanner does have a TWAIN function that I use through Adobe Photoshop 7.0. It is very simple to use and very self explainatory. I would reccomend installing the drivers and then dumping all of the software that came with the scanner except the OCR program and MGI Photo Suite.

So.. I would reccomend this scanner to someone who doesn't want anything expensive, but something cheap, but not to somebody who is going to be editing photos professionaly.

This scanner is a steal at this price, especially for those new to the world of computer technology. The software included allows for a variety of projects, and is explained in lay terms that make the experiance that much easier. Though this scanners' price is a bargain, you get much more than you pay for. The set up is easy, just plug it in and scan away. The resolution is great, and for those photos where your badside is showing there are a myriad of editing options available, so you can always look your beat, even when you don't. I have also scanned documents and had great results. If you are looking for a home scanner this is a great bargain with top quality software, this is it.

I have never spent so much time with reps (In India no less) in trying to figure out problems. They sent me black & white new cartridge..that didn't help (I had brownish red print all the time.) Then another rep said it was the color cartridge an sent me one of those, THAT didn't work. Finally they sent me a new machine, sans the top which they said to keep and install on the new "bottom." Then, although all copies went through & the confirmation said they all went, the receivers kept telling me that they didn't get all copies. HP then sent me a new top, so virtually, my entire machine (except prints heads) were replaced. Now all seems to be OK. Good point - You can print on "fast" although the colors are faded when you use these method of copying. Reps were very nice but spent much too much valuable time on the phone with them.

Just recently bought a competitive product, i.e. scanner copier and printer. I returned it the same day and bought the HP 7110. Happier than a clam. I've always had HP, but for the last few years, now I'm back. This is a great product. It's classic HP quality, (Weighs a ton) but has the quality in printing, scanning and copying. Even the Fax is simple to use. I like the stand alone fax and copy capabilities, makes life easier in the home office world. I use the machine for a combination of home office activity and personal use. I just scanned in a picture at the highest resolution and printed it at the same on HP photo paper. I'm hard pressed to find the difference in the scanned copy. If you have a home office or a small business buy this machine. You'll be happy you did. Don't waste your time with other equipment. CEO Carey Fiorina has done it again.

I must say I agree with some people about this machine, it does have some issues like the size is big and it does shake some while printing but for the most part this is the best machine I have ever owned. Reguardless of what was said previous it does work in Adobe PhotoShop CS which I use. When you load the drivers it installs a twain driver which does come up in PhotoShop. The color is the best I have seen and very crisp and clean. When you open the cover you can tell this is built much more solidly than almost any office machine available. The cartridges are faily inexpensive for ink jets. You can print on many different paper sizes another critizism is the tricolor cartridge. It would be much better with separate cartridges also you have to be careful about the color cartridge, when you print in greyscale it still uses color ink so it can go fast if you are not careful. I wish HP would only use black ink in greyscale but thats where alot of their money comes from I am sure. When you consider the faxing, scanning, quality printing, and copying all from your home office this printer is top notch.

I had the same problems as JW reported below. I tried to get it working for hours, and it will not work. Unfortunately, I have to work the same hours that their customer service is open so I cannot get help. This is probably an O.K. scanner if you can get it to work. But if you have problems, Customer service is only open regular business hours M-F and it is NOT a free call. I am returning the scanner and staying away from Visioneer.

My old Visioneer 7600 Scanner bit the dust. I needed a replacement that worked with Windows XP, installed automatically (without drivers), scanned faster and offered higher resolution. Not only did the Visioneer 9020 meet those requirements, but it has the option to scan negatives and slides. Love that! I'm scanning photos like crazy without a problem. This is one of those rare "landscape" scanners that tucks under my printer stand nicely. Controls are easy to access. I don't use the Paperport software that comes with it, but it installed without a hitch. The scanner works beautifully with my existing MGI PhotoSuite software and my Adobe PhotoShop. Worth the money spent, especially with the free shipping offer. (Got the scanner in less than 48 hours via UPS Ground.)

I'm running Windows XP home and had no problem installing the scanner. Within 10 minutes of unpacking it I had everything up and running.

So far, the image scanning and text scanning work great. I haven't tried the scan/attach to e-mail function, and the scan/print function (which is supposed to act like a photocopy - create a B&W scan and send it to the printer)doesn't work well on my system at the default settings. Playing a bit with the settings has produced excellent results, so ultimately no problems there!

For at least basic scan functions, the Paperport software is easy to use. Though it would have been nice if the installation software had mentioned which installation folder would be the default home to the scans... I would have placed it in a different directory had I know in advance.

I have had wonderful success with text scanning... this produces a text file with far fewer glitches than some other programs and scanners I've used.

Since I bought this primarily for image scanning, and some text scanning... I'm very happy with it! This continues to be a great scanner for my system and one I can highly recommend!

I purchased the S200 feeling the price was acceptable considering the brand recognition and scanning resolution. It is my first scanner so comparisons are difficult but the scanned results are probably better than what my monitor and printer can reproduce - so no complaints there. I do have an irritating USB cable connection at the scanner that tends to connect/disconnect with slight movement of the cable. My main irritation however came with the absence of documentation and help menus for the scanner application software. Some of the menu choices that modify color, etc. are not really intuitive- at least not to me, and there is no help menu to explain them. A getting started manual was included but that is pretty much just for connectivity, etc. Trying to wade through the Compaq website for info was really frustrating. After 3 (of what seemed like automated) email responses to inquiries for help I finally gave up. I was directed to their technical chat page and it happened to be offline. I suppose trial and error will have to do. I saw other complaints on their posting board implying that documentation is scarce on their other product lines as well.

I bought it for $25 at a clearance. It gives very high resolution scans, with very high quality, but I do not recommnd it for professonal use since the colros are slightly off always (a white becomes blueish for example). It is speedy (about 6 seconds a scan, most of it being taken up by the scaning program), and light to carry (cheap, not much in it, weighs like dictionary). I do have to admit it is extreamly cheaply built. There is like nothing inside it. I dont see any negative effects from it though. If it had a USB 2.0 (instead of USB 1.1) interface I bet it could take a 1200dpi scan in 5 seconds. It has high enough resolution to do OCRing no problem.

The software included with it is barebones, you'll make do, but it is hard and aquward to use, and has a candyied up lame interface. I would get a diffent program to use with it. But since it is so cheap I guess it is justifiable.

I have never had any problems with it except figuring out how to use the candied up interface (I would use a more professional program like Adobe Photoshop with it).

I am really happy with this scanner, and I love that I bought it. I am planning to buy another for the office. But I would not use it for a professional publication.

Although I haven't used this scanner yet - I do plan to purchse it in the near future. The last review I read was very helpful to me. I have purchased (2) other scanners and neither of them will work with Window's XP. One was a Visoneer Paperport 6100 and the other was an older model Visoneer. They worked great with ME and Windows 98. Needless to say I'm very happy to find a scanner that will work with XP at a resonable price.

Now if I can find a camera.. My Polaroid Photo Max 320 will absolutly NOT work with XP. I've tried downloading a driver from the Polaroid website, but nothing works.

I JUST BOUGHT THIS SCANNER AND IT IS MY FIRST. I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR A $500 DOLLAR SCANNER AS IT WILL BE USED FOR HOME. I KNEW IT WOULD NOT BE THE TOP OF THE LINE. **I WAS IMPRESSED** THE SOFTWARE TOOK ME A WHOLE 15 MIN TO INSTALL AND THE SET UP WAS ABOUT 3 MINUTES. WITHIN 20 MINUTES I HAD MY FIRST SCAN AND IT WAS GREAT.

I SCANNED A PHOTO AND FROM START TO FINISH, IT TOOK APPROX 3MINUTES TO HAVE A PERFECT PICTURE ON MY SCREEN. I READ SOME OF THE OTHER REVIEWS AND I THINK THOSE PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING A MILION DOLLAR SCANNER FOR UNDER $100 BUCKS. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY SCANNER FOR THE PRICE I PAID. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO ANY ONE WHO IS LOOKING FOR A FIRST TIME SCANNER WHO DOESN'T HAVE EXPECTATIONS OF A MILLION DOLLAR SCANNER........

I have had this scanner for over a year now. It produces very good images, but it takes forever to do it! One interesting thing I found was that the scanner came with the old, Foto Snap software, insted of new acclaimed ScanWise software, so I thought I would download the new software and make it better and faster. Was I wrong! It took twise as long to scan a picture!

I would recommend this scanner to first time buyers who do not need speed. Otherwise, look at USB scanners with more user friendly software.

I've had my scanner about 2 weeks and have found it very satisfactory for the uses I had intended. I was especially surprised at the good quality of the color copies, which I usually send as e-mails and don't copy (photos, magazine, clippings, etc.). The frustration some reviewers have felt is EASILY ELIMINATED if you BE SURE THE SCANNER IS TURNED ON WHEN YOU TURN ON THE COMPUTER! I had some fury with the computer saying the scanner wasn't turned on, too. A patient customer service person gave me the simple advice that has worked everytime - either leave the scanner on all the time OR just make sure that it's turned on and the 15 second test is complete before you turn on the computer. I love reading about other people's rage knowing there was such a SIMPLE solution!