Rating: 
Summary: Great Scanner--photos or slides/negs
Review: I have used scanners going back to the 16-bit color HP scanners of 15 years ago--I have never found one that is as color-accurate, fast and easy to use as this one. I use Photoshop to scan photos at 600 dpi, edit and then print on my HP Deskjet, or to use at 72 dpi for web apps--from old photos to slides to negs, the performance is flawless and fast.The slide/neg holder is easy to use and integrates automatically with the XP twain software, making these easy to use in any graphic application. The backlighter is built into the lid, and is exposed by removing the white foam backed insert that is used for photos. The scans are perfect. This is a terrific scanner at a great price.
Rating:
Summary: Best model out there in-between home and business use.
Review: I haven't had this scanner for very long, but I have already made more than 500 scans with it, and it's is awesome. The preview scan is ridiculously quick: I can get a good idea of what my scan will look like in less than a couple of seconds. The software bundle is very nice for a beginner, wherein you can make automatic scans for email, web, file outputs with the push of the respective button on the scanner body. I tried the software out a few times and I was impressed with the results, but if you're using Photoshop you don't need to install the whole package. It only took a few minutes to set the thing up and do my first scan, which was pretty cool. Once you gain more confidence with the different elements in a scan (namely the relationship image size and resolution have with file size) you can use TWAIN for a more manual approach. This allows you to adjust your settings based on what your requirements for your final project are. For example, I could scan a postage stamp-sized picture at a high resolution and enlarge it into an 8" x 10" photo or larger and the quality would still look pretty good. Your final scan speed will depend on the resolution you've selected , but it's still fast at higher resolutions. The lower the resolution, the faster the scan time. I love using TWAIN, especially since it only took a few trial runs to figure it out. It's calculations for file size, resolution, and image size are all right there, so there's no guess work needed from you. Epson also provides pretty good documentation for doing things manually for your first time (like a reference table for your final output on projects for web, negatives, photos, text, etc.). The color has been consistently sharp and the resolution very crisp, on both the flatbed and the transparency unit. Notice, however, that this is not a portable scanner. It's bigger than some on the market and it is powered by an external power supply. But it is perhaps the best model on the market for projects that require excellent quality whether your project is personal or semi-profesional.
Rating:
Summary: Good for slides and negs, excellent for prints!
Review: I haven't printed anything out with the images I've scanned (yet) so I can't comment on that. All I know is that I needed a decent slide scanner, for an inexpensive price. This one satisfies that need. I find that all scans are on the "warm" side - there's a slight yellowish cast to the pictures. This is easy to get out quickly, using the bundled Photoshop Elements (or in my case, I used Photoshop 6). By the way, do you realize that Photoshop Elements is just thrown in with this scanner? And that it is a well-reviewed graphics software program that retails on its own for a respectable price? And that there is also a coupon (limited time offer - until 6/02) that allows you to buy the FULL version of Photoshop at a fantastic discount? (Half off, or thereabouts.) WHAT a deal! Something to think about if you want to get into Photoshop! Anyway, I found my slide scans to be of decent quality. Bear in mind, I am not exceedingly picky, because I have gone through several "consumer level" scanners with a slide attachment, and they all were pretty bad. So the fact that this one wasn't awful like all the others delighted me. But to be brutally honest, the slide scans are not all that sharp at higher resolutions (I scanned at 720 PPI). And sometimes the color needs extra tweaking. But I have been able to fix up and size down (and sharpen) my slide scans just fine. They look great for web images (even large wallpaper-sized web pictures), and I am guessing, are fine for printing on an ink-jet printer. (However, I found that my some of my darker and more underexposed slide scans didn't look that great, and required more Photoshop adjustments. But I need to expect limits to this scanner's abilities, I guess.) All-in-all, slide scans are perfectly adequate, and I am sure, quite good considering that this is NOT a "professional" level slide scanner. My own guess is that you will be hard-pressed to find another scanner (at this price range) that will make better slide scans. Scanning negatives is pretty good (though, once again, a bit soft at higher resolutions). Some of my negative scans have been a bit "washed out", and needed some extra Photoshop adjusting. Scanning prints is excellent. Almost all image scans needed the quick Photoshop tweak to take out a bit of yellow, though. But that doesn't take much time, and I got used to it quickly. (EVERY image needs to be tweaked, after all, no matter how good the scanner is!) I am using an iMac running OS 9.2.1, and the scanner's software is very stable. I don't use any of the bundled software, just Epson's TWAIN, in Photoshop. Works wonderfully. There is supposed to be an OS X update CD coming out in January 2002 (a coupon is with the scanner's paperwork, so you can order the CD). If you are scanning more than one file at a time into Photoshop (scanning 4 negs at one time, or whatever) you need to give Photoshop plenty of RAM. (Always good advice anyway!)
Rating: 
Summary: Good experience with the Epson 1650 Photo Scanner
Review: I just recently purchased the Epson 1650 Photo scanner and I'm very pleased with the performance. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous after reading some of the reviews on this product but decided to take a chance. I did a number of scans of photographs, magazine pictures, negatives and all of the scans came out looking just fine. I think that some of the folks who had trouble with this product purchased it before the drivers were fixed or available. It is clear that Epson released the product a before it was ready for consumers. I think that most of the issues have been worked out as I haven't experienced any problems under Windows XP.
Rating:
Summary: Works Great for 35mm Slides
Review: I purchased the 1650 Photo to scan my 30year old collection of color 35mm slides; and I could not be more pleased. I can't believe the quality...you would never guess they were slides. The scanner does 4 slides at a time. I hooked it up and right out of the box to my Dell Computer/Windows 98 with no problems. The software is easy to use - no need to study the manual. I scanned a few 4x6 photos at first just to try it out and then switched to the slides. It also has a holder for black and white 35mm film strips. If the quality is as good as the color you could eliminate a B&W dark room and just scan the negatives and print from your computer. As I said, I have not spent much time looking at the instructions or doing other scanning, so I may not be as familiar with all the features as some. The one thing I don't understand is why no 'off/on' switch. I would gladly paid a few dollars more for one. The bottom-line...it you want a reasonably priced scanner for 35mm slide the 1650 is what you want.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Compatible with Mac OS X
Review: I purchased the Epson 1650 Photo Flatbed Scanner 6 months ago. The primary reason I was attracted to this particular model was it's ability to scan 35mm slides. NOT.... Although Epson claims it is Mac compatible, Epson neglects to inform the consumer that the scanner IS NOT COMPATIBLE with the Mac OS X operating system. Epson has been promising me delivery of the necessary drivers (at an additional cost, accompanied by a sales receipt, UPC bar code, and required application form) for 6 months now. In my latest contact with Epson (Oct. 3,2002) I am told they "do not know when the driver will be available". So in conclusion, you owners of Mac computers - don't consider buying this product if you expect to use it as a scanner ... for anything else? ... it's up to you!
Rating:
Summary: Bad Luck with This One and Bad Service
Review: I purchased this product from amazon.com. I expected that Epson could provide a good product when it comes to scanner. The scanner arrived, and I was excited about it. After installing the software and seeting up the scanner, I scanned my first picture. The scanned result looks like it had specks of dust and scratches in the image. I scanned the same picture in a diferent position in the scanner, and I got diferrent results. It still had spots and scratches in different places. Called Epson and their answer was that the picture was deffective. They sent me to an Epson Service center, and the scanner spent a week in repairs. At the end nothing was acomplished. I had to return the scanner to amazon.com. I am looking for a new scanner. I hope Epson improves it's customer service department; it is worth nothing when it comes to trying to help a customer. The Epson service rep was always blaming the end user. He never considered the possibility that the scanner could be deffective. I will be browsing thru amazon.com trying to find a good scanner again.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad,...for the price.
Review: I was suspect after reading all the reviews about the tech support and bad drivers. Despite common sense telling me 'don't buy this scanner,' I went ahead because of the rebate. I figure for under $200, I can't go wrong. I consider myself fairly tech saavy, so I'd tinker with it if any problems came up. No regrets. The drivers installed without a hitch on my PC running XP. The software really isn't the greatest, but generally easy to use. The important thing for me is that it scans very well. I'm pleased with the output. The downside is that it's noisier than a freight train! And it seems really flimsy, like one could crack the lid if one wasn't careful. The design is just big and ugly like a 10 year old PC. Too bad it doesn't look like the nice slim Canon flatbed scanners. Ooops! I guess I could have considered a Canon, huh?
Rating:
Summary: The Best Scanner Available
Review: I wish I had more time to put into a more lengthy review of this product. Suffice it to say that I am extremely happy with my purchase of this scanner and it has served well scanning documents, photo prints, magazine pages, and much, much more. The software bundle is excellent and the setup is quite easy. I have a number of Epson products, including more than one printer and find their products to be of the highest standards. Enjoy your purchase!
Rating:
Summary: Not Compatible with Mac OS X
Review: I've been using this scanner for 9 months now and am extremely pleased with it. My only gripe might be that their is no on/off switch. Have to plug and unplug it all the time. I use the copy function on it all the time in my home office and it works great. I also use it as my fax machine and that works well also. Have had great luck with scanning photo's and good results. The only problems I've encountered was doing old slides. Had to go in and manually take control to get them to scan to my liking. Other than that I leave everything on auto and all has been good. Mine is hooked to a HP N5495 laptop with Win XP and has encountered no problems. Great scanner!!!!
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