[ExI] a dumb question about scanners etc

[Emlyn]

2009/10/28 Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com>:
> See, I recently had a bunch of stuff shipped to me from Australia to the US,
> including a CanoScan 0646Uex scanner and an old Zip drive, together with
> their useless transformers that are designed to turn 240 volt 50 Hz
> something-amp wall current into (in the case of the scanner) DC12V. The
> plugs are all twisty and wrong for the US mains, and I wonder whether I can
> easily and cheaply get hold of a US transformer or two that will do the job
> of running a thing designed for Oz powerlines. Or an adapter that will plug
> into the wall and accept this Aussie transformer up the wazzoo and still
> work. I don't have any easy way to reach the local nerd stores, or I'd be
> pitiful in front of a saleshuman.

I don't know about transformers. However, Scanners are no longer
something you'd pay real money for. I know in Oz, they're very hard to
buy on their own; what you do is buy a printer/scanner combo, for $100
to $200, and you get a great scanner. Is it really worth keeping the
old scanner going? eg: do you even know you can still make it work for
your current PC setup? I threw out an old scanner a while back because
it used a parallel port, and I just couldn't make it work any longer
(no parallel port, and even if I had one, no drivers).

-- 
Emlyn

http://emlyntech.wordpress.com - coding related
http://point7.wordpress.com - ranting
http://emlynoregan.com - main site