Aarrrgghhh!! Scanner blues

[Cardboard Junkie]

Earlier this year I foolishly bought a Brother.. fax...Copier...Printer...Scanner. Damn thing even has a phone dangling off it. It has been nothing but trouble. I wont go into details but it doesn't seem to do any of those things very well. I will be the first to admit that I am high tech challenged, but even my rocket scientist (really) daughter says "It's just a bad machine".
So I ask for advice....I just want a scanner....no bells no whistles. Your recomendations please.
My cheesy computer.."a Wallyworld/Voldemart Special" is another disaster alltogether. I see some scans here that are beautiful and others that are very poor quality. What to do?

[RUSH2112]

I have real good luck with HP scanners. There are several different models but just make sure it has a flat top and not slanted otherwise when scanning the cards slide a bit. I got a HP Deskjet F4180 at a garage sale for $10 and tested it last night and works fine. If you buy one second hand they usually don't have the software CD with them so just go online and download the software for your particular model. Older HP all-in-one models work good too.

[familytoad]

Dave you should bid Aloha to that Brother and say Aloha to a new Canon 4400

Cheap because they have already moved way past this model number, but is one touch easy to use, scans graded or raw equally nice and did I mention cheap?
I paid 79 for mine on Amazon, free shipping...came in 3 days and I was scanning away!
My best investment in a long time.
The 8800 model also has rave reviews, but chances are that one will cost more and be more machine than you really need.

[Touch'EmAll]

I recently moved up to a scanner with CCD element - OUTSTANDING scans !!!