Having read this thread, I'm still getting the impression that there are no "current" scanners, meaning something you can buy at a big box store, rather than an old model purchased second-hand, that works well with slabs right out of the box. Is that right?
The only way to find out is for people to post examples...and I'd personally like to see thick and thin slabs scanned.
Having read this thread, I'm still getting the impression that there are no "current" scanners, meaning something you can buy at a big box store, rather than an old model purchased second-hand, that works well with slabs right out of the box. Is that right?
Based on my experiences (mixed in some observations), the legal scanner spec alone almost automatically puts you in the $500 - $1000 range. And this is conservative.
Very few stores carry them in stock, and quite often they are special order. This eliminates the try-before-you-buy scenario (I can't tell you how many times I've brought a slab along with me only to get strange stares and no machine to try them on).
Another important observation is that graphic design purposed scanners (one manufacturer mentioned here is Microtek) tend to be in the upper-end of the price scale (i.e. $2000 and up seems to be par for the course on these machines). They would most definitely do the job, but as some people have pointed out, picking-up a used scanner just seems to make much more sense from the point of view of keeping things on budgetary course.
Newer scanners might relinquish the hassle of buying someones problem, but my hunch is that any R&D going into "improvements" will not have advanced one iota in terms of capturing CGC slabs any better.
If I was bent on getting a newer scanner, I would visit as many business centers (i.e. Staples, Business Depot, Grand & Toy) and see what they are using for standalone scanning stations. Try them out, and if you like what they are doing, find out where to get one. I tried going that route, and hit obstable after obstable because of what I mentioned above (special order, usually quite expensive).
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Originally Posted By: comicwiz
Another important observation is that graphic design purposed scanners (one manufacturer mentioned here is Microtek) tend to be in the upper-end of the price scale (i.e. $2000 and up seems to be par for the course on these machines). They would most definitely do the job, but as some people have pointed out, picking-up a used scanner just seems to make much more sense from the point of view of keeping things on budgetary course.
I think you're confusing Microtek with Epson here - one of the main reasons why the Microtek Scanmaker i800 is a good buy is because it was cheap even when new. I paid $300 for mine on Amazon last year.
The Epson Expression 10000XL is $2000+, yeah, but it would be insane overkill to buy this scanner just so you can scan slabbed books.
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Another important observation is that graphic design purposed scanners (one manufacturer mentioned here is Microtek) tend to be in the upper-end of the price scale (i.e. $2000 and up seems to be par for the course on these machines). They would most definitely do the job, but as some people have pointed out, picking-up a used scanner just seems to make much more sense from the point of view of keeping things on budgetary course.
I think you're confusing Microtek with Epson here - one of the main reasons why the Microtek Scanmaker i800 is a good buy is because it was cheap even when new. I paid $300 for mine on Amazon last year.
The Epson Expression 10000XL is $2000+, yeah, but it would be insane overkill to buy this scanner just so you can scan slabbed books.
I've seen Microteks priced as you suggest (ScanMaker i900 is in the entry price point of $600), but they also manufacture high-end professional graphic design scanners (ScanMaker 9800XL and ArtixScan 2500f). Keep in mind that while the MSRP you see on Amazon and other consumer review sites suggest these can be had in the $1000-$2000 range, the reality is these are special order items where I live, and the MSRP gets thrown out the window as there is a guaranteed markup no matter what store you buy from. I would not have an item like this shipped, and I've only known one store local to me who could order from them, and the price was $2500 IIRC.
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Originally Posted By: kahml
Whisp, the Epson web site stopped support on this device at Windows XP.
It might be that the device is simply recognized automatically by Vista. In addition, the TWAIN driver may be provided by some other photo-recognition software.
But if I had a problem with the device under Windows 7, Epson won't be of much help - and I think that goes to the heart of the previous poster's question.
Larry
There is 3rd party vista drivers for that scanner.
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I have the exact same HP software, and I am testing the Arcsoft (free 30 day trial).
Do you think the Arcsoft is worth $80?
I know you have 5.5, which I have seen for $49, but I'm not sure if it is Vista compatible, so I am testing 6.0.
I am running v 5.5 on Vista with no issues
I noticed one commenter on that link I shared (for v 6.0) mention s/he didn't notice any difference with 6.0 from 5.5, and expressed regret upgrading (and conversely paying more). Could be sour grapes so I guess you might want to take that review with a grain of salt.
In the interest of giving a balanced review, I should also state that I bicker from time to time using Arcsoft, but that's primarily because of my exposure to Photoshop (just a phenomenal graphic design and photo editing tool). I also have used Macromedia/Adobe Fireworks for nearly as long and so Arcosft sometimes lacks those features I became accustomed to over the years, but for scanning and other light-duty editing, Arcsoft does the job nicely.
My dilemma is that I have one computer I use strictly for design, and its loaded to the gills with every application you can imagine. But its an older notebook (Dell Inspiron 600m), so when I bought a new Dell (XPS) notebook that came pre-loaded with Vista, I was instantly hooked to its speed and performance, and got Arcsoft on the Dell XPS because at the time it was free and I couldn't be bothered with retrieving and installing all the software I already had running on my older Dell.
I'm all for supporting software companies (as I run one myself) so if you did find a link to v 5.5, I would take that as I'm sure it will do the job very nicely.
