Windows 11 broke scanning on my multipurpose printer.

So I would like to consider MorphOS on my G5.

From the quick overview I did, it doesn't look like there is any hope of using a fairly modern scanner or a multifunctional device.

Are there any updates on the horizon? I would hate to squish a dedicated scanner in a corner when I already have one...

Does anyone use Scandal regularly have any feedback on how good it is?

I would need a sheet feeder and a decent performing device. Did a quick search and some HP's and Canon's come up that are older and usb that seem similar to the list of approved scanners. Any feedback on what others are using would be great...

I also looked at the program and it looks like it can't save in PDF format? So that may be a game stopper since I would have to convert all the scans I make...

[ Edited by matt3 20.03.2025 - 12:28 ]

I've used it with an old flatbed scanner. It's been working quite fine, although some small bugs would be nice to get fixed (some new creeped in at some point). I've scanned some books, magazines and other documents.

Even though it doesn't save directly to PDF, you can convert JPG files to PDF with other programs, which I did with the books. At early days I used OSX PDF printing to convert to PDF, but nowadays you can use RNOEffects to batch process all selected images to a PDF file, for example.

@ matt3 - I've used an Epson 1640SU scanner for a while now. It has both USB2 and SCSI ports on it, and you can get an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) for it, which I believe is supported with SCANdal. I own one of these ADFs but haven't got it out of its box to test it myself, but Zukow stated in his docs that this add-on works with the scanner so presumably he has one to test with the program. It also supports film transparency scanning with the required adapter that plugs into the back of the scanner and rests on the top of the glass platen and is also supported by SCANdal.

I think the Epson models are the best supported of the scanners within SCANdal, but you would have to discover that for yourself if you manage to acquire one, and of course, if it suits your purpose(s)!

The one thing that "bugs"/annoys me about SCANdal, is the GUI, as it is basically a fixed size, and though the zoom feature has been improved since my first uses of it, it is still quite "clunky" IMHO. The GUI, scanning preview window needs to be allowed to be resized, as MUI windows are usually able to do, but the SCANdal GUI is not allowed to do that, surprisingly. I have mentioned it to someone in the Dev. Team and it is supposed to be "in the works" to be addressed, but it hasn't been as yet, and I've been waiting to see this improvement for a couple of years or more it seems.

If you have a G5 that is a PCI/AGP model, which I seem to remember it isn't, it's a PCIe/A1117 model, then you could add in a SymBIOS SCSI PCI card and then use ScanQuix 4 or 5, which I believe works well under "Trance" 68k emulation with MorphOS. I really used to like using ScanQuix as it too supports the Epson models and the GUI and layout is as Amiga friendly, and intuitive, as you could get. I used to be able to scan as fast as I could lay the paper out and swap it to the next item to scan on the platen, and it too supports the ADF that the Epsons provide I believe, but even though I have one, it was going to take up too much space for my little office to offer it room to be accomodated so it hasn't got used as yet.

On my PCI/AGP G5 iMac 7,3 Iam using a SymSCSI Card with an old Mustek SCSI Scanner and Scanquix5 which works great. I do have an old Epson (USB) Scanner which works with Scandal too. One can convert the scan images e.g. with "Image2PDF" :


https://www.morphos-storage.net/?id=2289007

or use the Scandal version from Aminet, which can save to PDF directly :

https://aminet.net/driver/other/scandal.lha

[ Editiert durch Trekman 21.03.2025 - 10:02 ]

> On my PCI/AGP G5 iMac 7,3 Iam using a SymSCSI Card

That'd be a PowerMac not iMac, then ;-)

Quote:

Yes.... absolutely correct ... sometimes I get confused with those many designations ... lol

Interesting that the MorphOS version that comes with the OS doesn't save in PDF and I have to go to an older 68k version to get it.

Thanks for all the good feedback.

I looked into getting the Epson 1640U with a sheet feeder and didn't have much luck in sourcing the adf.

HP seems to be more plentiful with adf's. Does anyone have any good experience scanning with an HP?

Does anyone have an ADF with a scanner working that works well without playing with it?

>> or use the Scandal version from Aminet, which can save to PDF directly :
>> https://aminet.net/driver/other/scandal.lha

> Interesting that [...] I have to go to an older 68k version to get it.

As far as I can see, that old version is MorphOS/PPC-native nonetheless.

MorphZone news item: https://morph.zone/modules/news/article_storyid_1854.html

Quote: That's not surprising, as the Epson 1640SU ADF that I have seemed to be a fairly rare occurrence being listed on eBay where I got mine from.

Where are you located on this celestial orb of ours?

I know that sometimes they come up, but shipping would probably be costly if you're not in the UK or Europe, and then there's the issue of it possibly getting damaged while in the postal service/courier.

If you want me to keep an eye open for one becoming available then I'll do that, and PM you if an ADF makes an appearance. Let me know if you're going to stay focused on Epson, or will be trying to acquire a HP, or other make/model scanner instead?

I think I had a spare HPScanjet scanner a good while ago that I used with either ScanQuix, fxSCAN or ImageFX, but I've also used Mustek, Umax and Canon, but out of them all I preferred my Epson GT 5000, 6500, 7000 models.

Just for info the Epson 1640SU was originally named the GT8700, but I believe it was only marketed as such, with that model name/number in the far east, Japan models seem to be featured with that title.

For info there's a couple of G754A EPSON PERFECTION 1640SU COLOUR 1600X3200 DPI OPTICAL FLATBED SCANNERS for sale on ebay uk item #156607239124, or item 156629856357, along with quite a few slightly older Epson models like the 1240U, 1260U.

There's also in the UK a company called athema.co.uk that deals in scanners, and companies like this are more likely to have an ADF for an Epson 1640SU flatbed scanner than most other places online as they probably obtain their stock via office closures and company liquidations and business auctions. They show that they have an ADF for an Epson 1640XL (A3) scanner, but I am not sure that scanner is supported by SCANdal, but such companies might be a good way to track down such an ADF - just an idea.

I initially forgot to add that there is of course fxSCAN version 4, that does support PDF creation from a direct scanning level, and has an OCR engine, and you can also rework images directly from within the program, and as the program was written in 2002, it also offers full PPC−support (ppc.lib, WarpOS, MorphOS) - quoted from the PDF manual by the program's author Felix Schwarz.