I was a little leary after reading some of the reviews but I think it's wonderful. I gave it only 4 stars because of what I consider a software issue.The scanner is very easy to use. I found I scanned a 100 photos in no time flat. I did get a few of the lines that some people complained about but they weren't big white lines. They were very thin and more a distortion of what was scanned. They were only noticable when I enlarged it. They were easily removed with the editing software that came on the scanner. I did clean it per instructions and it was fine. I also noted they appeared more often on the older instamatic photos rather than the lab photos that were newer. I started dusting the photos with a cloth meant for eye glasses and had to clean the machine less often.I do wish they had included more than one scan sleeve. This worked well on photos that were cracked, ripped, had something spilled on them or had tape goo on the corners. It is very easily cleaned. I also used it on old photos that had been cut down.As far as the software, it can do amazing things to make the photo look great, Removing dust and lint that would stick to the instamatic photos before they could dry. You can completely wipe out a small spot with one click. You can also fill in gaps in the photo if you have the patience. By doing small sections at a time you are able to move color from the photo next to a tear or stain right over the gap.The only problem is the software doesn't have an "undo last edit" feature. It has a "revert to original" feature, but that means starting again from square one. Which when you have spent 30 mins filling in a gap and make a mistake (over edit a spot) can be extremely upsetting. So speaking from experience, auto correct first, if you like the results, then and only then, should you begin the clean up process. I also learned the hard way to start with the faces. Faces seem to be the easiest prtion of the photo that can be over edited. (sides of noses and lips can appear deformed if touched to much.)I hope you find this information helpful. I would definately reccomend this item to family and friends.