scanners?

Log on to www.cnet.com and click Product reviews at the top of the page. It's pretty intuitve from that point on.

I have used this website prior to any electronic (not just computer stuff) purchase and have found it to be VERY reliable. Also, once you decide, you can look for the best price and order it from a vendor link on-line is you want.

Log on to www.cnet.com and click Product reviews at the top of the page. It's pretty intuitve from that point on.

I have used this website prior to any electronic (not just computer stuff) purchase and have found it to be VERY reliable. Also, once you decide, you can look for the best price and order it from a vendor link on-line if you want.

thanks for the help, i already went to that site and many more. I found out also that Microtek's 4900 and 6700 both won awards from PC Mag as best buy and scanners, so I feel okay now.
Dave

All scanners have their ups and downs. The real trick is to pick one that will last. HP however, has not been known to last long without breaking down. I have seen/got stuck using HP devices MANY times before. Scanners, CD-Writers, printers, others.For the past four or five years now, they have been doing nothing but causing problems!! Don't think so?? Check the Technical Q&A Hardware section. Oh look, there's an HP printer already in action!!! I have also used scanners from Genius, Microtek, Cannon and Logitech. Any one of those should do fairly well for you. Cannon and Logitech scanners usually have a higher price tag but it's usually with GOOD reason. I setup a Genius USB scanner for my cousin. He couldn't be happier with it!! Also, the Genius scanner usually has a smaller price tag. I would also suggest you aim for one that has the photo negative scanner. Genius and Microtek, I pretty sure, both have that option. Basically it will just give more scanning options to you.

Have Fun!!!

Don't expect the best support from Microtek. I'm not sure why this other guy has been having problems with HP stuff. Every printer, scanner and CD writer (all-in-all that's over 700 devices!!) throughout our company is HP and we have found their product quality and tech/customer support second to none. And if you are unlucky, HP's warranty ARE worth their weight in gold.

In respones to answer #3. The reason most of the questions are about products HP makes is because by far they are what people own. That may be a clue as to which one to choose. If I had $200.00 to spend on a scanner I'd get one for 80.00-100.00 and spend the rest on something else.

A lot of good thoughts here. The scanner is only a small part of the purchase, it will affect your printing as well and you'll need good tools to work with fixing/touching up of the images scanned in. The software is probably more important than the scanner. I have to agree with rcom that cheaper is the route to go, a year from now that $500 piece of hardware will be discontinued and be sold for $100. I use a USB mustek 2200 and with all the photo scanning my wife has done the only problem I've had is losing drivers when it's uninstalled to long and a bent dead usb cable from her pushing it to far back into the wall off the desktop. It came with adobe photdelux le and seems to have a good enough for most collection of touch ups including a duplicating from elsewhere on the image which has allowed her to touch up many an old cracked up photo and keep things in proportion. But again the best software is the one you get to know well and use so spend time with it. A good source if you're set on a model number is pricewatch.com. Be careful since shipping never seems to match other than the free shipping offers. Enjoy!

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