Scanner recommendations

[Kerry F]

I need to get a scanner.  Just a simple scanner, nothing fancy, but decent.  I can't decide whether to get a combo copier and scanner and printer or just a plain scanner for sending in documents to agencies.  I don't need high speed either.  But definitely ease of use.  Any suggestions?  Would like to keep the price under $150 if I just get a plain scanner.  But it would be nice to have a little copier, too.  But you can scan something into your computer and then print it out, right?

[Kyung]

Go high speed.  Scanners are slow.

[Janiece Young]

Yes, I use mine all the time.  I have a Cannon.  The printer went out on it and I just bought a Lexmark.  They are color printers.  Nice to have a back-up.

[Marge Teilhaber (TILE hobber)]

This isn't what you're looking for but this is my third scanner and man, what a difference and a pleasure and worth the $$$:

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 Instant PDF Sheet-Fed Scanner for PC

$415 last May at amazon.  

I'm in love!!!

[Mary Jo Cochran]

Make sure you get an automatic feeder.  All scanners save to PDF.  It scans, saves it in a special SCAN DIRECTORY, usually by month.  Then you go open the document and print.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

I have the Fujitsu ScanSnap.  It did cost $500, but it scans both sides at the same time and scans in color and it is very fast.  I absolutely love my scanner.  Worth every penny.  I scan documents to my scopist all the time with it.

[Mary Jo Cochran]

When my all in one had an incident (which killed it), I bought a cheap HP printer, which scans.  It's a piece of junk and it's irritating - especially when I am trying to be efficient.  Don't go cheap.

[Kerry F]

I know about the ScanSnap.  Heard great things.  Just didn't want to spend that much if I don't have to.  Thanks for all the input!

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

The thing is that I can probably go eight years or so without buying another scanner.  The better quality, the longer it lasts.  Something to be said for that.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Kerry, I found a cheaper one on Amazon.  This one doesn't scan as many pages but still a ScanSnap.  $260.

http://www.amazon.com/Fujitsu-ScanSnap-Instant-Sheet-Fed-Document/d...

My girlfriend bought this ScanSnap to take to depositions for dailies to scan exhibits to her scopist, $197.

http://www.amazon.com/Fujitsu-ScanSnap-600DPI-Mobile-Scanner-PA0361...

[Kerry F]

Kelli, thanks, I'll check it out.  I must say I am not very happy with the company Fujitsu.  I bought an expensive little laptop from them in 2008, 4.1 pounds with built in CD drive, 14 inch screen.  I had in the past always paid for on-site next day service on my laptop I take to jobs.  I don't anymore because I have backup laptops now.  My Fujitsu laptop doesn't get much use because I rarely edit on it, just take to depos.  But the company Fujitsu has been very bad with service and responding to calls in the past two years, very bad, so I'm a little leery of buying anything else from them.

Since I really don't have tons to scan, I would rather just get something for $100 or so for now.  So are there any scanners that autofeed (rather than one page at a time on the bed) for cheap?

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Just keep in mind, Kerry, the more you go cheap, the more often you're going to have to replace your scanner.  In the long run, keep that in mind because it's going to cost you more money.  Sometimes people have a hard time seeing the forest through the trees. 

This is a perfect example.  Paying 130 for a scanner and you have to keep paying that every year or year and a half,  that's going to add up.  Please keep that in mind.  If you buy a high-quality item, you're set for years to come.

Perfect example:  I buy Asian rugs in my house.  They cost me thousands and thousands of dollars, but I'll keep them for the next two decades.  It's worth it.  Look long term.

[Quyen]

Thanks for the topic, Kerry, and thanks, everyone, for the Fujitsu recommendation. I bought it from Amazon last night for $506 with tax and free shipping. I recently got a new laptop, and one of my eight-plus-year-old Canon AIO scanner feature is no longer supported with the updated driver. The other Canon even older than that does not even have an updated driver at all, so I can only fax on it and can't print unless I use an old laptop. Looking forward to getting the Fujitsu delivered!