Are scanners useful?

[Ferocious]

I've never owned one but was thinking about getting one soon.

The problem is I can really think of any uses for one.

What do you use a scanner for?

 

[dullard]

There are two basic uses: (1) as a copy machine, and (2) to get pictures on the computer if you don't have a digital camera. If you don't need either of those functions, then you don't need a scanner.

 

[DeeTees]

If you ever have any use for already created information in a document and that information is not available on-line you will quickly learn that scanners are a necessity of life.

I cannot think of running a modern office without a scanner. (Read that even a student may have many uses for a scanner - scanning manual graphs into pdf for preparation of reports, scanning quoted material into term papers, etc., etc..

 

[Ferocious]

Very interesting.

Especially considering they are not expensive, I will pick one up today.

I happen to be going to OfficeMax today. So can anyone recommend any of these scanners?

 

[mbackof]

Saving documents. It keeps some of the clutter out of your house when you can save copies of receipts and materials on the hard drive or backed up to CD instead of in folders in a desk. It also makes searching easier.

 

[Anonemous]

In my case yes, scanning bills, statements, old photo albums (damn acid), receipts, rebates&UPCs (gogo Hot deals), etc... all from a scanner I found in hot deals for cheap. There should be some hot deals for scanners coming soon with the holiday season. If you need one keep a lookout in hotdeals. They usually can be picked up 15-30$ after rebates.

 

[robtk3]

I bought a $80 HP scanner about a year ago. The first thing I scanned when I got home was a copy of the $40 mail in rebate;-)

 

[buleyb]

So are you going to buy a scanner because you don't have one? If you don't have an immediate need for one, why bother?

I have use for a scanner like 3 times a year, and its easy enough to find a scanner from the office or school.

 

[Ferocious]

This one is $49 at CircuitCity.
I really like Canon products so i plan on picking this up tomorrow (they have it in stock).

I think I'll be using it several times a month....so it shouldn't be a waste of money. Mainly a convenience thing.

 

[overclock]

This is an awesome, FREE photocopy program.

Works great.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: overclock
This is an awesome, FREE photocopy program.

Works great.

Thx

 

[Sid59]

i use it scan 35mm pictures.

last week i scanned some school handouts for my friend.

once a week or so, my gf uses it to copy documents.

 

[rnmcd]

Originally posted by: mbackof
Saving documents. It keeps some of the clutter out of your house when you can save copies of receipts and materials on the hard drive or backed up to CD instead of in folders in a desk. It also makes searching easier.

How does it make searching easier for you? Do you just use some database to link you to the document or do you do some kind of OCR search or is it just easier to find the document because of a descriptive filename?

thanks.

 

[Ionizer86]

Descriptive filename and sorting by folder. Works fine.

Ferocious, which product were you linking at OfficeMax? I could't get it to load. If we could take a look at it, maybe we could make recommendations for/against it etc.