Was this a good deal?

[mikossant]

I had been watching this and was wondering if the winning bidder got a good deal.
Screen 1045ai with mounting station and mac for $1675

http://cgi.ebay.com/Screen-1045-ai-Drum-Scanner-w-Mac-Mounting-Station_W0QQitemZ270278586436QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270278586436&_trkparms=72%3A1209%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[Don Hutton]

Perhaps - there are a lot of variables to consider with a machine like this: no parts, legacy software (and a legacy machine to run what it has), 8 bit (I think for this model) etc. Unless you were able to inspect the functionality of the machine prior to purchase, I wouldn't call it a great deal as there would be significant risk involved. A physical insepction of the machine up and running does negate some of that risk and to make an informed decision of what it's worth, I'd suggest that it is a key decider.

[bdeacon]

This is a great scanner. Assuming of course it is in good working condition and doesn't require service, which would be extremely difficult to arrange for a Screen scanner. The more popular Howtek scanners can be sent to the manufacturer (now named Aztek) for service, but this might cost as much or more than the purchase price. The cost also didn't include freight shipping, which I suspect would be at least half the cost of the unit itself. You'd also have to have a huge space in your home for this particular scanner, and a way to get the scanner into the space. I've seen photos taken by a guy who had to employ a crane in order to get this scanner into his 2nd floor office. These potential problems aside, assuming all is working order you could easily recoup the price of this scanner in a week's time. Purchasing a drum scanner on the auction site is something of a crapshoot, more or less depending on the specifics of the auction in question. I purchased an Optronics ColorGetter Eagle on Ebay for just over $2K a few years back and it still works perfectly. I'm also still learning how to optimize the scans it creates, to the extent that I'm now rescanning some of the same images I scanned shortly after acquiring it. It’s rather amazing to be able to purchase a scanner that cost $30-40K new for a few thousand dollars. If it works, it’s sort of like winning the lottery. If it doesn’t, you may find yourself with a huge, 200+ pound paperweight.

[dh003i]

Perhaps everyone can enlighten me, but are these things really worth ~10x the price of an Epson consumer 4800 dpi scanner (http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=53540925), or even their 6000 dpi scanner (http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63070478)? I highly doubt it is 10 times better, or anywhere near 10 times better.

[Bruce Watson]

Perhaps everyone can enlighten me, but are these things really worth ~10x the price of an Epson consumer 4800 dpi scanner (http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=53540925), or even their 6000 dpi scanner (http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63070478)? I highly doubt it is 10 times better, or anywhere near 10 times better.

Yes, they are.

[Frank Petronio]

Operator skill is still the key factor but all things being equal, a good high-end scan looks like a "veil has been lifted" -- much cleaner and clearer.

[Nathan Potter]

High end scanners can be roughly equated to high end audio equipment or high end automobiles. The price for quality goes up exponentially as performance improves. With scanners the actual resolution and Dmax that a skilled user can extract from the machine is a function of the mechanical and optical sophistication within the machine. As Bruce says above the answer is a resounding YES.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.