Epson Perfection 1640SU Scanner

Rating:
Summary: Returned Scanner
Review: Perfection 1640SU is my first scanner, so i can not compare it to anything, but it works very well for me.I think that it is very good product. However, my problem is - communication with Epson technnical support. There is no simple way to resolve simple question of scanner/printer compatability, other than long-to-wait pay-phone connection. To request assistance in initial installation i was invited to fill form with mandatory questions i have no idea about (sound card type, port address, irq etc). It took day of contacts with Gateway to find it all out, by then i spent money on telephone conversations with Epson and resolved problem. By the way, my installation problem resolved when i changed order of things: turned on computer first and scanner second, opposite to what is written in manual.(This was brilliant idea of Epson tech. support specialist over the phone). Since than i have no problems, and hope it will be like this forever.

Rating:
Summary: Product very good - communication very bad
Review: Perfection 1640SU is my first scanner, so i can not compare it to anything, but it works very well for me.I think that it is very good product. However, my problem is - communication with Epson technnical support. There is no simple way to resolve simple question of scanner/printer compatability, other than long-to-wait pay-phone connection. To request assistance in initial installation i was invited to fill form with mandatory questions i have no idea about (sound card type, port address, irq etc). It took day of contacts with Gateway to find it all out, by then i spent money on telephone conversations with Epson and resolved problem. By the way, my installation problem resolved when i changed order of things: turned on computer first and scanner second, opposite to what is written in manual.(This was brilliant idea of Epson tech. support specialist over the phone). Since than i have no problems, and hope it will be like this forever.

Rating:
Summary: Epson Perfection 1640 SU Flatbed Scanner
Review: Purchased a month ago and have scanned about 2300 photos and documents. This is my second scanner - first was HP 5pSE SCSI. I think this Epson 1640 SU is outstanding. It is fast, provides excellent detailed scans, and I haven't had a single problem with it. Feel free to e-mail me with specific questions at [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: Returned Scanner
Review: Scanning on the Epson 1640SU initially worked well. It was very fast, and the documents looked very good on my display. However, two of the main reasons that I wanted to use a scanner were making copies of documents and faxing documents. After I started using the Epson 1640SU scanner, I found out that I could not do either function, even though they say that they can. After days of effort with Epson technical support, I found out that the scanner would make copies, if I had an Epson printer, which I did not. Finally, one of the technical people referred me to a 3rd party SW firm that had a "patch" that would allow copying to non-Epson printers. I tried that, but my non-Epson printer was apparently not on their list, so it still did not work. Then, in order for me to fax a document, I found out that the process involved a multistep operation that I was never able to make work. After a week of effort trying to make this work, I sent the scanner back. I sent a note to Canon and HP asking them specifically about the faxing and copying, and they both replied that they work with any printer and any fax SW. I will probably try Canon or HP.

Rating:
Summary: Great upgrade scanner
Review: The Epson 1640u is a great upgrade scanner from a 600x1200 dpi scanner. With the recent drop in price it costs as much as my original 600x1200 scanner. The color and detail is very good. While the scanner is slow for high resolution scans using a USB connection (though a SCSI-2 connection is also available if you buy the cable and card), it still is quicker than the 600x1200 dpi scanner it replaced for more detailed scans. It is highly recommended for photo albums that don't need 8x10 photos.

Rating:
Summary: software is a nightmare
Review: This scanner is extremely hard to use. The abilities of the scanner far exceed what most people can use. I've installed and re-installed the software and I still cannot use most of the features. I know there are bugs in the software, but to date, Epson has not provided any patches. The software does not seem to be compatible with other "twain" compliant applications. I'm going to setup my old mustek scanner which is very user friendly. When Epson developed this scanner and software, they threw away the concept of being "user friendly". As a matter of fact, they went out of their way to weave a thread of "arrogance" into their software.

Rating:
Summary: Scanner problems
Review: While the scanner is a good one and I'm happy I bought it, it was VERY difficult to get it installed. The accompanying software for the twain driver was insufficient and it needed to be downloaded from the Epson website and unzipped. It took tech support hours to figure this out. I later found out that this is a normal problem with Epson scanners. My advice is to be sure to buy the extended warrenty/tech support if one is offered. Epson's tech support number is NOT toll free and was stated by another reviewer not to be very helpful.

Rating:
Summary: Epson continues to rule the scanning wars
Review: Without question, the best value on the market for scanning power. It's quick, crisp and comes loaded with software you can use. Adobe 5.0LE is all most people would ever need. Nice that it supports both serial and USB hookups. Epson's 1200U reigned until it's replacement, the 1240U was released. The 1640 is the next step up. Both are 42 bit. I love this scanner and would highly recommend it. Spend the few extra bucks, you'll never regret it.