Oh HELL, I need a new scanner. WOE, with attendant cry for help.

[summer_jackel]

Can we all have a moment of silence for Little Scanny, please, who has died the true electronic death.

I know I'm super posty today, I'm sorry. But for this latest development, I actually think I need some advice.

The machine I'm using to scan my stuff is an Epson Scanner/Copier/Printer threeway I got, I think, in 2002. It is, I believe, on its little electronic deathbed. The copy and print functions have long since failed, no matter how often I clean or attempt to troubleshoot it by the manual directions, but the scanner still worked. The thing is, unless it has ink, it won't run the scanner, and it will automatically determine that the ink is out at a set time no matter how little ink in the cartridge has actually been used. (which is none, in this case, since the print/copy functions died more than a year ago. Does the stuff go bad?) The ink for it is both expensive and no longer carried in local stores.

I loathe the quick obsolescence of computer technology and cringe at the prospect of having to responsibly dispose of this hated boat-anchor of a once shiny and exciting device. But I'm not buying really expensive (like, $40+ a cartridge) ink for a broken machine that can no longer use it, but is just designed such that its tertiary function won't run without the stuff.

Perforce, I require a new scanner. Quickly, because I need to scan a commission with a Feb. 14th deadline, and since I am about to be really busy, I was hoping to get the finished art scanned tonight (inks) and tomorrow (finished painting). Thankfully, scanners are cheaper than I thought they were, for instance this little puppy for $150, which is about what I can afford for this acquisition. I plan to cruise Best Buy tomorrow.

Given that I have a friends list full of artists, and keeping in mind that I am just barely technologically literate compared to many of you, I am encouraging all of you to share your opinions on what to get, what to look for and what to avoid. Scanners: we all love to bitch, complain and hate on 'em, but it would be nice if I could actually get something that would kill my artwork somewhat less than the old clunker.

Comments

[ironbadger.livejournal.com]

The best printer/scanners I have found are Canon.

I have had a half dozen different ones- all died due to either bad design or accidents. (I fell on one and broke the glass...to give an example of "accident").

The best of them all was a Canon- and I would still be using it if I had not managed to clog the print head by refilling cartridges with super cheap off brand ink...

I advise staying away from hewlett-packards- the equipment is good- but the software that comes with HPs is buggy, bloated and prone to really alarming errors and system slowdowns...

Do not under any circumstances get another Epson...
They are cheapass built, have the shittiest print quality I have ever seen, and as you have discovered the ink is horribly expensive.


I wish I could recommend the Kodak units...But I got one to try out because of the lure of cheap ink- and found the print quality so poor that took it back the next day and got the top of the line Canon they had.
(An MX850).
The Canon is not the absolute best print quality I have found-(you need a dedicated printer that does nothing else for the best,) but it does very sharp, solid black as well as any commercial photocopier; which is rare in an all-in-one unit, and its color copying is the best I found in several different machines.


It has individual ink reservoirs, so you do not have to change out an entire unit if the blue is low but everything else is okay.


-Badger-

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's useful---I'm taking notes which will accompany me to the store today. Thanks. I'll keep Canon as a high priority.

[camelai.livejournal.com]

I second the warning away from Epson products. They are EVIL. I'm not even kidding.

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I learned that one the hard way! Epson gets no more of my money!

[baxil.livejournal.com]

The Canon Pixma series seems to be one of the consistently mentioned products in "best of" lists for multifunction scanner/printers. Here are some others to consider: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/pf/0802/gallery.printers.moneymag/index.html

If at all possible, try to pick out 3-4 at the store, run over to an Internet cafe, look the models up on Amazon or similar, and see what feedback people have been giving your choices: that's the best way to avoid a dog*. Even a good line can have a crappy model sometimes.

--
* No offense intended to actual dogs.

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That's 2 votes for Canon; I will keep them on my 'A' list. I'm not convinced that I need another combo machine, although I could use a printer too. Late this morning: shopping trip.

My dogs sneer at the large paperweight that was Little Scanny, but it is definitely among their number.

[pelzig.livejournal.com]

I've always been partial to MicroTek. My 1994 purchased SCSI MicroTek E3 is _still_ working. And that is after being dragged around and moved for years. 15 years and still rolling along!

Problem was, my PC has no SCSI port so, when I needed to scan things, I had to fire up the Mac Performa 575 (of equal vintage). One day, I was in the thrift store and there, in the box, was a USB MicroTek Scanmaker 3600 for $10. Works like a champ.

If money is tight, check large thrift stores for usable technology. :D

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

oooh, Score! I will keep microtech under consideration. I think I'm going for new, though; I don't want to deal with conflicting technologies, and this picture really needs to get scanned in its inks today so that I can finish it on time.