For each question you will find a group of suggestions that will help you decide which type of scanner is best for you and what functions you should consider most carefully. They are so cheap now, it just seems like the thing to do. You may have a very bad experience with them that will turn you off of scanners entirely, and that would be a shame because a scanner is a very useful tool. You can get a very nice scanner for just a few hundred dollars, but you can get junk too. Don't let that turn you off on scanners entirely.
Scanners are really cool things, with lots of possibilities.
Have fun, explore and you will probably find you are using a scanner quite a lot. Demand quality and compare. Just because a scanner gives a recognizable image does not mean it is a comparably good image. My children need one for school work. This is a common motivation and a good one.