Scanner recommendations ?

[fos]

I am in the market for a scanner. I visited the local WalMart this afternoon, not wanting to drive 40+ miles to the computer specialty shop.

They only had multi-purpose (scanner, printer, copier, fax) units available ranging in price from $75 to $99. They had several HP models, they all had the same resolution 2400 x 1200, one Epson, one Kodak, and one Canon. The Canon had the highest resolution 2400 x 4800. I have had a bad experience with Epson so I'm not terribly inclined to purchase that one.

The Kodak and the Canon are both $99. Looking at the specs, the Kodak print expenses would be about half all of the others due to ink cartridge capacity and cost. The Kodak unit doesn't list a resolution for the scanner or the printer, I even checked their website - not listed.

Again, I don't really need the print feature, I have an excellent networked laser performing that function.

Any experience with scanners - does it really make any difference? Naturally, I'm looking for Linux compatibility.

Jeff

[uteck]

A high scan resolution is not that important. Scanning photos does not need a very high setting, and using a higher one just makes a larger file, not necessarily a better quality one.
HP is very well supported since they GPL'ed the driver and actively maintain it. I'm not sure how well the Kodak works under Linux, but if it works fine, then go with the least expensive one.

This site has lots of good info about scanning. http://www.scantips.com/

This is not just my own opinion about the maximum resolution from color prints, it's a very popular opinion. For example, Doug Gennetten is the engineer with HP's Home Imaging Division doing the HP PhotoSmart printer and scanner. At the introduction of these models, Doug posted this message:
"Since printers are at or near photo quality, scanning resolution is no longer a printer-dependent value. To get photo-quality scans---even if going to a 2540 dpi image setter---200 dpi is the max resolution you need if your original is a normal silver halide color print."
The HP scanner web site says:
"A Note on Resolution: The vast majority of scanning projects require resolutions lower than 300 dpi. For example, scanning a photograph at resolutions higher than 150 to 200 dpi only produces a larger file, not more detail."

[fos]

Thank you very much uteck, that is a great link.

Jeff