filmscanners: Tips for SS4000, Insight, VueScan, laptops

[bob geoghegan <bobgeo@dgiinc.com>]

Here are a few tips from 2 months with the SS4000 & a laptop  Hopefully 
they'll be of use.  I've been using Win2000 on a Dell Latitude CPx, 
PIII-500, 512 MB, Adaptec 1480B SCSI.:

1)  If PolaColor Insight & VueScan are installed, Insight may crash on scan 
after the "curves" tab is used.  This can be quickly repaired by 
reinstalling Insight.  I think something in the VS install is causes this, 
since it seems to recur after loading each update to VS.  Outside of this, 
the 2 packages co-habitate well.

2)  Insight's option to turn off the scanner's lamp after X minutes in 
doesn't work for me.  Not a big deal.  Perhaps it's related to the above.

3)  As long as the SS4000 is powered on when the PC boots, it can be turned 
off for a few hours & still be recognized when it's turned on again.  This 
partly compensates for #2.

4) Insight uses less RAM during a scan than VS.  VS can be set to release 
RAM after scanning.  Neither is a CPU hog.

5)  Add'l hardware for laptops, scanning & editing.  Everything costs more 
than for desktops, don't put too much money into an old laptop.  You might 
be better off with a new desktop for about the cost of  your laptop's 
upgrades.   I stayed with the laptop because my office space is tight.

5a)  RAM, of course.  256 MB chips for laptops are typically $110-$150 
each.  It's still worth maxing out the machine's RAM.

5b)  Get a decent conventional monitor.  Laptop LCDs are fine for most apps 
but not imaging.  Res. higher than 1024x768 really helps.

5c)  Mice are good, optical mice are better.  The trace-pad on the Dell 
just doesn't have fine enough control.  The Logitech Mouseman Traveler 
works well.

5d)  Maxtor's external USB2 or 1394 hard drives are a fairly efficient way 
to add storage.  They're about twice as expensive per MB as internal drive 
space for a desktop.  Replacing the internal hard drive on a laptop is 
usually a lot more expensive than it's worth.  The external drive's benefit 
is that it can go with you to your next machine.

Bob