Recomendation for scanner, please. (flatbed, non transparency)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alan Browne
  • Start date Start date
A

Alan Browne

Hi,

Looking for a flatbed to replace my quite old (11 years) Mustek 1200 III
which has served well and long but has been acting up (knocking noises,
spring twangs and occasional serious banding). (It also has a parallel
port interface which does not hook up to the iMac, so I have to boot the
PC to scan ... tedious).

-Letter size (legal okay).
-Feeder not required.
-Transparency not required.

Use: documents, letters, occasional photo prints, articles, etc.

I have an Iomega 1 TB external disk. Can I daisy chain out of it on
Firewire 800 to the scanner? (Does the external drive need to be on to
daisy chain?).

(Firewire 400 port is connected to the Nikon 9000 ED scanner and does
not daisy chain from the 9000 ED).

If I can't do the above, then I'll USB it. (May need a hub, getting
crowded).

Recommendations?

Thanks,
Alan
 
Alan Browne said:
Hi,

Looking for a flatbed to replace my quite old (11 years) Mustek 1200 III
which has served well and long but has been acting up (knocking noises,
spring twangs and occasional serious banding). (It also has a parallel
port interface which does not hook up to the iMac, so I have to boot the
PC to scan ... tedious).

-Letter size (legal okay).
-Feeder not required.
-Transparency not required.

Use: documents, letters, occasional photo prints, articles, etc.

I have an Iomega 1 TB external disk. Can I daisy chain out of it on
Firewire 800 to the scanner? (Does the external drive need to be on to
daisy chain?).

(Firewire 400 port is connected to the Nikon 9000 ED scanner and does not
daisy chain from the 9000 ED).

If I can't do the above, then I'll USB it. (May need a hub, getting
crowded).

Recommendations?

Thanks,
Alan

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Click to expand...

I would recommend a Canon Canoscan 8800F. It is USB only, and may not work
if plugged into a USB hub. It needs to be connected directly to a USB port
on the computer.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=120&modelid=15561

Canon makes scanners that do not have transparency ability, But they are CIS
based and have zero depth of field.
It is nice to have the ability to scan film.

If you want a comparison of a CCD and CIS sensor, check this link.
http://www.carlmcmillan.com/DOF/DepthofField.htm
 
I would recommend a Canon Canoscan 8800F. It is USB only, and may not work
if plugged into a USB hub. It needs to be connected directly to a USB port
on the computer.
Click to expand...

That's okay, as long as other devices can be hubbed (like the printer).
I only have three USB ports on the iMac (what _were_ they thinking?)

And as I don't use the wretched Apple keyboard, I lose that port.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=120&modelid=15561

Canon makes scanners that do not have transparency ability, But they are CIS
based and have zero depth of field.
It is nice to have the ability to scan film.
Click to expand...

I have a dedicated film scanner that easily outclasses any flatbed.

If you want a comparison of a CCD and CIS sensor, check this link.
http://www.carlmcmillan.com/DOF/DepthofField.htm
Click to expand...

I don't think, however, that the DOF issue for the flat docs that I scan
is that relevant.

Thanks,
Alan
 
Per Alan Browne:
I have an Iomega 1 TB external disk. Can I daisy chain out of it on
Firewire 800 to the scanner? (Does the external drive need to be on to
daisy chain?).

(Firewire 400 port is connected to the Nikon 9000 ED scanner and does
not daisy chain from the 9000 ED).

If I can't do the above, then I'll USB it. (May need a hub, getting
crowded).
Click to expand...

This is probably moot for most, but I wanted a scanner that I
could cart to and from work when needed with the least hassle.

To that end, I got a CanoScan LIDE 500F. USB-connected.

It's two claims to fame for me:
-------------------------------------------------------
1) It's extremely slim: thinner than a lot of books.

2) It gets 100% of it's power from the USB2 connection.
No brick, no AC cord.... Just plug and play.
-------------------------------------------------------

I find the software that came with it tb 100% adequate for my
use... and it has a convenient feature where you press a button
on the scanner and it pushes a request to the PC to fire up the
Canon scanning app.
 
Barry said:
You are going to think that I'm nuts, but I'd look for a used HP 5470C
or 5490C (same scanner with the ADF) on E-Bay for about $25 or so. As
good as, if not better than, most current products (this was HP's top of
the line $500 scanner, and PC Magazine Editor's choice, from about
2002). USB, 2400 dpi true optical resolution, and better software (HP
Precision Scan Pro) than later HP products which use the "HP Director"
junk software. I would not discount the value of the ADF (document
feeder) ... it's a huge time saver if you have to scan multi-page
documents. Just be sure that you get the right power supply with the
scanner (it's different with and without the ADF), and if you get the
ADF, be sure that the paper input tray is included. According to HP,
these scanners don't work with Vista, but I have successfully installed
one with Vista. I've seen these go for as little as $10 on E-Bay,
although shipping will be at least $15 to $30.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. Over time I've avoided HP products as hopelessly
over-bundled and saddled with poorly designed software.

A used HP could be a good alternative, I agree.

(PS: After you taking time to reply I hate to sound nasty, but please
don't top post).

Cheers,
Alan.
 
(PeteCresswell) said:
Per Alan Browne:

This is probably moot for most, but I wanted a scanner that I
could cart to and from work when needed with the least hassle.

To that end, I got a CanoScan LIDE 500F. USB-connected.

It's two claims to fame for me:
-------------------------------------------------------
1) It's extremely slim: thinner than a lot of books.

2) It gets 100% of it's power from the USB2 connection.
No brick, no AC cord.... Just plug and play.
-------------------------------------------------------

I find the software that came with it tb 100% adequate for my
use... and it has a convenient feature where you press a button
on the scanner and it pushes a request to the PC to fire up the
Canon scanning app.
Click to expand...

Thanks Pete, I have been looking at that (or similar) LIDE models. Not
for those reasons, just adequacy and price.

Cheers,
Alan.
 
In message <[email protected]> Alan Browne
Thanks for the advice. Over time I've avoided HP products as hopelessly
over-bundled and saddled with poorly designed software.
Click to expand...

Amen! Although at least on the printer side, if you wait 9-15 months
after release until HP gets around to getting drivers into Microsoft's
distribution channels, those drivers tend to be less craptrastic.

(Microsoft's distribution channels = Preinstalled with the OS, Microsoft
Update, etc)

I've not tried a multifunction or scanner from HP in some time due to my
unwillingness to touch the crap that goes with their drivers.
 
DevilsPGD said:
In message <[email protected]> Alan Browne


Amen! Although at least on the printer side, if you wait 9-15 months
after release until HP gets around to getting drivers into Microsoft's
distribution channels, those drivers tend to be less craptrastic.

(Microsoft's distribution channels = Preinstalled with the OS, Microsoft
Update, etc)

I've not tried a multifunction or scanner from HP in some time due to my
unwillingness to touch the crap that goes with their drivers.
Click to expand...

I bought an HP with doc feeder and legal size capability for my office a
couple years ago. Absolutely wonderful scanner that didn't work as
advertised because of poor software design and integration. Took the IT
guy a week to sort it out while interrupting my work every 2 hours...

The last HP product I bought for the home that mostly worked as
advertised was a CD burner... many years ago. Even then it came with
more "value added" crap than you could shake a stick at.

Cheers,
Alan.
 
Barry said:
Re: "Over time I've avoided HP products as hopelessly over-bundled and
saddled with poorly designed software."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Click to expand...

Sorry Barry: I can't read your post. Doesn't respect posting order
netiquette. Guess you've wasted your time and mine.
 
In message <[email protected]> Barry Watzman
The device that I recommended is now about 6 years old. It was made
back when HP was still offering quality in both hardware and software.
As to later and current products, I agree with you. Because I feared
that the 5490 scanner would not work with Vista (HP says it doesn't ...
buy a newer model. But in fact it does), I bought the later model, a
5490. The scanner is fine, but the software is pure, unadulterated junk.
Click to expand...

Any of the pre-Carly hardware is pretty decent, although obviously
getting dated. Anything after she "Reinvented HP" is questionable,
although there is the odd gem out there.
 
In message <[email protected]> Alan Browne
Sorry Barry: I can't read your post. Doesn't respect posting order
netiquette. Guess you've wasted your time and mine.
Click to expand...

Now you have wasted every other reader of this group's time blabbering
about it.

Heck of a job!
 
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