Pros: I'm not sure why on both the 281 and 283 these few bad reviews exist. My situation is very similar to the below 5 star review. I've used the 281's for quite awhile now and have moved on to the 283's. Both are capable little scanners for the price. For the most part they just work. I was impressed enough that I bought one for home use, scanning documents and receipts, etc to reduce paper clutter and enable me to retrieve information from my home pc remotely.

Cons: I must also agree that the standby mode is a nicety for some maybe, but not in a work environment. I immediately turn it off.

Overall Review: I've purchased probably 20 of these scanners so far and they just keep working. Great value for the price. As with most scanners nowadays, it is TWAIN compliant.

Pros: Very low price for a document style scanner. Works good as long as you scan the calibration sheet first (put it in the scanner in a landscape orientation). Never had a jam or a misfeed and we use several of these at work now. Alignment is as good as higher priced scanners I've used. Overall very good for the price.

Cons: None

Overall Review: I used $500 canon scanners before these. Saw the price and decided to give them a try. Liked it so much for the price, bought one for home too. Works like a champ. Even saves as pdf.