Indeed, a flatbed scanner is an excellent addition to a genealogist’s computer. You can add images to the source citations in your genealogy database. Not only should you state where you found the original record you cite, but you can even include an image of that record! Scanners also allow you to touch up faded family photographs and to inexpensively make digital copies of valuable family photographs that you want to preserve or distribute to others.

I will never write a review of scanners, however. First of all, it would be a difficult and expensive task. Simply obtaining one of each popular scanner would be out of the question for one person. Next, a proper test would consume many, many hours. I would probably have to skip writing the newsletter for several weeks if I decided to test scanners.

The most compelling reason, however, is that it has already been done. PC Magazine produces an excellent side-by-comparison of all the leading scanners available today. This in-depth comparison lists statistics and prices. It also gives the editors’ subjective evaluation as to the quality of the scans produced by each scanner. The prices of the scanners they reviewed recently range from $79.95 to $3,269.99.

You can read this excellent review of flatbed scanners at the PC Magazine website.

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