Need a scanner

[elsiegee40]

We're looking for a scanner to use in our ICT Suite.

Don't need anything terribly flash - just reasonably robust as it will be sharing a room with 4 - 11 year olds!

Do you have a recommendation, please?

[mattx]

We use the Canon Lite 50's and 60's - apart from the usual twain driver problems they have been ok.

Only snag I had was an issue with a dongle USB key for our media server and the USB driver for the scanner. Ended up having to install one before the other to get the scanner to work. [ It was the USB dongle driver that was the cause ]

[Geoff]

I've had epsons and HPs. Both makes seem robust and fuss free. One thing I do tend to avoid is installing all the free scanner and photo editing software though. I usually just get the minimal drivers and leave people to use the built in XP wizard.

[mattx]

I usually just get the minimal drivers and leave people to use the built in XP wizard.

Good point.
Most imaging software will have the option to import or scan documents which in turn launches the XP Scanning Wizard.

[john]

I use the Epson ones, good scanners and very good drivers

[Ric_]

Canon all the way... if you can pick up a LiDE 25 they are dirt cheap (reasd £30-ish). Very robust and no additional PSU needed.

Avoid all the c@rp software at all costs - just install the twain driver and forget about the buttons. All good software can aquire from twain

[OverWorked]

What get me about scanners is the appalling software they come with. We have a Matsonic A3 scanner. The hardware is OK, but it's made difficult to use by the awful software that was clearly written for Win98 - needs admin priveliges and access to the /program files/ installation folder.

I like the Canon LiDE's too - they're the only ones that are good all round.

[bossman]

we have three HP4600s and once the drivers are installed they just work like magic. They are both A4 and A3 compliant, very cheap too i think about £60 going back a couple of years. They might have a different model out now but they are good.

[SimpleSi]

Echo good comments about Canons because you can easily just install driver and not the other guff.

Last few HPs (2 years ago now) - I had to install all the software and then remove everything but the drivers - if you didn't do this then the software took up >200MB of ram (no kidding !!!) and made 256MB machines unusable

Only thing is that Canons default to scanning upside-down which is pain in the neck because someone will always forget this and in a rush they will just scan and paste without checking

apart from the usual twain driver problems

What usual twain driver problems?

regards

Simon

[Sylv3r]

Canon Lide25's here also, for a budget range scanner quality is good and they work very well with our workstations here.

As people above have already mentioned ignore installing via the CD thats included in the box and just download the Lite Drivers from the Canon website.

[elsiegee40]

Thanks for this... looks like it's Canon going in the budget request