I've simply found Canon's scanners to be some of
the best available for the home market.  Sure, if
I had an unlimited budget, I'd drop a few grand on
one of those immense production-quality units with
the fancy names and the huuuuuge scanner beds...
*grin*... but since I'm not Bill Gates, my wallet
is a bit more modest.

Currently, I'm using a CanoScan 1240U, and it's
been the best unit I've had so far.  Good enough,
in fact, that I rescanned my entire collection
after I bought it -- the Canon's color depth was
an order of magnitude better than my last scanner.

Compatibility has been great with all three
systems on which I've used it (haven't tried a
Mac, though, so if you're on one of those, your
mileage may vary), the USB-based connection is
quite fast, as is the scanning process itself, and
the included scanning/editing software is very
intuitive.  Even the price/quality ratio is
excellent, particularly if you buy at a consumer
wholesale warehouse such as Costco/Price Club.

If I was reviewing my home unit for a computer
magazine (which I'm not, since I'm taking a year
off from that admittedly enjoyable rat race :), I
would give it 8 out of 10 in its price class --
the only minor quibbles I have are its
non-detachable lid and a tendency to drift
off-true if you don't recalibrate after every
dozen or so scans.

Good luck with your hunt!