Well, I took my HP ScanJet 2200c back to Office Depot and the nice people gave me a Canon CanoScan N670u. Let me take a moment to explain some of the better qualities of my new toy (especially as it compares to the HP).
For starters, it’s half as tall. Not a big deal, but this one is much lighter and more sleek. Which makes it more attractive. That doesn’t hurt. The scanning softare is several times better than the HP software. Easier to use, more options, just better. It doesn’t have a power cable. It’s completely powered by USB, which means one fewer outlet (trust me, our circuit breaker is VERY happy about that). It scans faster. It came with less packaging, but more stuff in the box. On top of all that (and this is the most important one) the image quality is better. So, there you have it. If you’re looking for a scanner for less than $100… this is the one for you.
Coincidently, the pictures from yesterday didn’t get much better. Lots of the problem is from the quality of the actual photo/print. I’ve uploaded slightly better versions of yesterday’s pictures, but they’re not really good enough for comparison, so I just replaced the old ones with the new ones.