Here are two suggestions for older scanners that you can get cheap:
HP 5470C or 5490C:
Available on E-Bay in various conditions (used to New in box old stock)
for $20 to $100 (at the bottom end, shipping will be more than the
scanner -- it is not difficult to find GOOD 5470's offered for less than
$40, sometimes as little as $10), this is a truly great older model HP
scanner, it was PC Magazine Editor's choice in 2002. 2,400 dpi
hardware, and very fast. Also has excellent software (better than
current day scanners).
The 5470C and 5490C are identical except that the 5490C has the document
feeder (HIGHLY desireable; can be purchased separately for a 5470C as HP
C9866A).
If you buy used, be VERY certain that you get the AC power adapter (it
is NLA from HP), and for the 5490C, the ADF paper input tray (note that
when the ADF is added, a different power adapter is required than is
used by the 5470C; the upgraded power supply came with the HP C9866A
factory upgrade for the 5470C).
When new, these models also came with an "XPA" accessory for scanning
35mm slides and film, which you may or may not get if you buy a used unit.
Officially, HP says that these models are not and will never be
supported under Vista, but I installed the last release of the software
in Vista and it works fine.
Epson 4490 Scanner:
This is a FAR better choice than the HP for negatives, but the HP is a
better choice for documents and possibly even photographs.
This scanner has "digital ICE", and dramatically better transparency
scanning (slides/negatives) than the HP including the ability to scan
not only 35mm but also larger "medium format" negatives.
Available on E-Bay from slightly under $100, or perhaps a bit more for
one that is "new old stock in sealed box" (still readily available); An
ADF is theoretically available (was standard with the "4490 Office"
model, but almost all 4490's were the "4490 Photo") but they are not
common and when they appear they are very expensive, more than the
scanner [again, the HP is a better choice for non-transparency material,
but the 4490 blows the HP away for slides and negatives].
Epson supports this scanner under Vista. This has been replaced by the
4990 (and subsequently the V700), but a 4990 will cost 2x to 3x more
than a 4490.
Post by Robert PasterMy 10 year old HP 4100c scanner finally bit the dust (computer
recognizes it's there and attempts to scan, but scanner never "warms
up", then won't scan). So I'm in the market for a new scanner that
allows me to scan photo prints, some documents (character recognition),
and maybe some negatives?
Any suggestions for a low priced scanner would be appreciated!!
Bob