IDJSTER  I've had the same experiences that you've had. This is absolutely the best piece of scanning software I've ever owned and, consequently, the reason I bought the lifetime license. It really is a great app and the author is very responsive to email queries and requests. I'd give it a review but I've already done that some time ago and it really does deserve the 5 stars. It's a top-notch piece of shareware!  
(Version 8.4.92)

FONGD  I sent the developer a request for an auto-update capability and he wrote back that it's on his to-do list but that he hasn't had the time to do it. My guess is he wants something that'll work on the Mac, Windows and Linux versions he offers and as nice as Sparkle is, it's Mac only.  
(Version 8.5.11)

ILGAZ  Did you have any bugs fixed based on _your_ configuration on this release? That is the issue. If you are a professional (the real market of vuescan), you won't want to have downtime or risks associated with a bugfix release which has nothing to do with _your_ configuration and workflow.

Of course, times has changed and Leopard users may easily downgrade (via TM, if enabled) if problems occur but it would be real waste of bandwidth and downtime for a Canon user getting updates for a raw/pro camera etc.  
(Version 8.5.12)

JCRAIG  Comparing the target audiences for VueScan and Image Capture is like comparing the users of iPhoto and CS4. While OEM software or built-in Snow Kitty tools will give the average user adequate scans, VueScan isn't geared toward the average user, though using the default settings will certainly give most users satisfactory results when looking to get a job done quickly and painlessly. VueScan users also aren't likely to jump on every update as they become available (can you imagine being in the middle of a large museum archiving project and having an update break your scanner?) VueScan is unparalleled in the amount of control it gives the user over color, contrast, white balance, infrared cleaning of transparencies, etc. even before launching an image editor. I'm not sure why this application is in need of such an overhaul as you say. Professionals need tools that work, work well, speed up our work flow, offer top-notch support from the developer, and create awesome images. VueScan is all of these and more, whether I'm running it on my MBP, my Windows machine at the local historical society museum where I volunteer, or playing around with it in Ubuntu (yes, it runs on Linux too!) If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  
(Version 8.5.35)

KBEAT  Craig,

I don't pretend to know what the target user or average user of VueScan is, or who Ed intends to use it. I do know that I've always that of it as a swiss army knife of scanner apps. It'll work with just about any scanner you throw at it, on just about an OS you run. It is simple to use and generally always works.

It is not, in my experience, the most powerful scanner software, and I don't personally know any professional shops who use it. Most publishers and archivers I know use the pro version of SilverFast or twain directly to Photoshop. Heck, the twain plug in that comes with my Canon offers more features than VueScan, if I need to dig deeper.

If you want a decent, clean scan the built in scanning features of OS X work well. I prefer, as do a lot of other professionals, to do image and color correction with Photoshop and Aperture, rather than scanner software, so for me the advanced features of VueScan are unnecessary. If you want to be able to get a decent scan, from virtually anywhere in the OS to anywhere in the OS, Snow Leopard's tools works great. Clearly they don't apply, nor do I suggest they do, if you need to scan using Linux and Windows as well.  
(Version 8.5.35)

ANDY HEWITT  I think I agree with the need to update, although I only don't use VueScan for one reason, it's far too difficult to scan multiple images at once. I have an Epson 4490, and the EpsonScan software is actually OK. I don't apply filters, or do too much adjusting at the scan stage, but prefer to deal with images in post-processing. The EpsconScan has enough settings to get a good base image, and it's far easier to scan a strip of negatives, or a selection of prints.

I agree about HP software though, I've set up a few Windows machines with HP scanners, and it is truly awful.  
(Version 8.5.36)

DEVSH0P  Yeah.... I'm gonna hafta go ahead and sort of, disagree with you there. I run a professional shop and I've been using VueScan for half a year now (since I discovered it). I run industrial grade scanners and believe me, the software that's packaged with them is less than useless. VueScan solved almost all of my scanner problems, I would say.... to 90%. Some things will simply never work properly. I've learned to accept that.

Updates are quick, and it's only ever crashed on me twice, which is much better than I can say for most of the software I run, including Adobe. It's got all the options I could ever ask for, and it took me a while to tweak it into the way I wanted it to run, but now, I couldn't live without it.

2 Cents.  
(Version 8.5.39)

CHRISCHRAM  I rather like the simplicity of the HP scanner software's user interface. It usually gives me what I need with no muss, no fuss. However I know that Vuescan is always there when I need more control over some aspect of the process.

I don't yet know whether HP's software will play well with Snow Leopard. Again, it'll be nice to have Vuescan to fall back on.  
(Version 8.5.27)

ILGAZ  Chriscram: What bugs the most people and in fact, reason for instability issues is the stuff added to startup, always on kernel extensions, ''update checker'' and low quality of the outsourced software. It is not just HP, it is all scanners.

I had to restore my machine from time machine backup once since I stupidly decided I should have Canon Lide 25 software too. It crashed so early that I couldn't logon to Finder to fix things.

In good old times, there were no resident scanner apps. There was a goodly (by device vendor) written TWAIN driver which loads to memory and goes away when not needed. When they started adding this needless ''button manager'' etc. stuff, troubles has begun.

If I had a clue about Vuescan's existence on Windows, I would buy it back in 1990s.  
(Version 8.5.28)