Thrilled with simplicity, quality, value and results

Using a 4 year old laptop, running XP Pro -
I unpacked the V500, followed the single instruction sheet and was scanning with excellent results - all within about 15 minutes from opening the box.

Having looked at the reviews on several sites, I was impressed with the positive remarks of almost all who took the time to write about their experiences.

I have scanned 35MM positive (slides) and kodacolor negative strips, almost all set in the automatic mode. Without exception, each was rendered true and looked as good as (or better) than when projected on a beaded screen.
I also tried several scans using the manual mode which offers added function and resolution choices, however for my needs I found the automatic proved perfect.

I decided not to load the bundled Adobe Photoshop 6.0 application, as I prefer the simple (and also free) Google Picasa 3.0 for editing. It has the tools I need -  I'm very comfortable with the program and have been using it for years. The color correction, cropping and lighting tools work wonderfully with the scanned image. In most cases, I've been able to improve upon the original captured image.

I've also tried using Picasa "import" as the interface to the scanner. It saves time and eliminates the switching between applications - again, just - keeping it simple.

The speed of each scan depends on the resolution set. I am using the default and am pleased with both the speed and quality. (capturing 4 slides at 300 X 300 takes about 3 minutes). Most of my slides will be kept in digital form now, the few that I may decide to print would be 4X6. Any image that I think I may later want to print 8X10 or larger, I scan at higher res. and deal with the somewhat slower capture.

My plan is to go through all my MANY slides and scan those that I want to index and preserve in digital form for family and friends to enjoy. Once this project is finished, I will probably sell the scanner through ebay. I'll take good care of the unit, save the packaging, programs and instructions -  a great deal for someone at a later date.

It's fun to use and exceeds all of my expectations.