this is a pretty good scanner
but what's the main difference between the two models??

I run a graphics studio, and use a scanner several times a day for photos, printed material, even small items such as jewelry that require some depth of field from the scanner. Because we have so much dedicated software that runs native in OS9, we're holding out on the Big Upgrade to OSX as long as we can. Last year I researched a new scanner to buy while we still had a choice of OS9 driver scanners, finally selecting an HP Scanjet 4400c. This was a joy to use, with friendly software, all the options we required, and good scans. Then it started producing banded images, and to make a long story short, this is a defect of some HP scanners, there is no fix, and HP goes out of its way not to help. So here we were in Dec 2005, frantically looking for a new scanner with Mac OS9 drivers.

After asking around amongst my contacts in the graphics and design community, the consensus was that Canon has nice scanners and provides the best software, and that Epson has the worst software, although their scanners are fine. The Canon LiDE 20, 30, or 50 all ran in OS9 , but no store had any stock; they'd been cleaned out months back. All the recent Canons (LiDE 25, 35, 60) only ran under OSX. grrr. Finally, and getting desperate, I tracked down an Epson Perfection 2580 (basically a repackaged 2480), which comes with OS9 drivers, and bought it on the spot, which happened to be Nanaimo BC.

After installing the software and removing enough packing material to insulate a doghouse, I fired it up using the Epson Smart Panel software, and was able to eventually save an image file to a folder on the desktop. Gone is the useful ability I had with the HP to Import directly into Photoshop (I've trolled the net for hours trying to locate an Epson 2480/2580 Photoshop Import plug-in; I might add that I was astonished to find NO reference to Photoshop on Epson's site - did they have a falling-out with Adobe perhaps?). SO I have to save a scan to the Epson desktop folder, and then open that file from within Photoshop, which is tedious and time-wasting. I've also tried just running Epson Scan (which is supposed to simply produce a bare-bones scan), but can't find any way to set resolution, adjust viewing area, change the scan type and so on with this method. The same applies to the "Professional Mode" of the Epson Smart Panel software, although I CAN make some of these adjustments in "Automatic Mode".

What can I say? This software really IS awful, and I'd love to have half an hour alone with whoever designed or approved it, to point this out. It's too bad that Seiko/Epson makes a mechanically decent device, and then cripples users with clumsy, ill-conceived software.

Eventually we'll be forced to upgrade, at which point we'll probably abandon Apple (the Mac OS experience bears little resemblance to its once friendly and open architecture), giving us a wide range of options in software and hardware, and another opportunity to try a Canon scanner.

Bottom line? Nice-looking scans (eventually) of color photos and grayscale images, nice package, front buttons are recessed enough so they're not being accidentally pressed (like the protruding HP buttons) and launching unwanted software, and all the required cables and attachments are included (incredibly, some scanner makers still don't include everything). On the downside, this scanner makes a lot of screeching and squealing while it scans (the HP was almost silent by comparison) The real bummer for business users like us, is NOT having a Photoshop Import plug-in (what were they thinking???), and this tortuous software that takes most of the fun out of scanning. I haven't had a chance to try scanning any 3D objects on the scanner glass so I can't comment on the depth of field this scanner offers. I'll have to gird my loins and face the Epson Smart Panel again I guess...