| The other day, I was talking to someone about this book, and he asked me, “Why are scanners so cheap? Is there some sort of catch?” (He’s my accountant, so he’s paid to ask skeptical questions about money.) The answer is no, there is no catch. Heck, with some scanner models, you don’t even need a computer! Desktop scanners have become so cheap for the same reason that everything else computer-related has become so cheap. The manufacturing of the component parts has reached an economy of scale that allows for “cheaper, better, faster” production. (Accountants like it when you use terms like “economy of scale.”)
My point is that it’s really easy to find a good, cheap scanner. In fact, you’ve probably already found one. In some cases, scanners are even given away free when you buy a computer system. Once a high-end tool for graphic artists, scanners are now, like so many other things, migrating to the casual user. A lot of that falls under the rubric of “digital imaging.” |