I have lost my Silverfast scanning software since downloading Lion. Lion is proving a nightmare - particularly as I was originally told it would work with Silverfast. I also cannot use my Epson 2100 printer. Not a very pro ufgrade Apple. Anyone help?

Question

Can not use Silverfast scanning technology or my Epson 2100 Colour Stylus printer since upgrading to Mac OS X Lion. I had been assured that Silverfast would work and had no idea the printer would become redundent! Not Good information from Apple!! Anyone out there help?

Answer 1

Hi, Peter;
The culprit is Silverfast. 
The company went as far as telling owners and new customers back in March that their software would work with Lion ("buy Silverfast version 6.6 now, and get a free upgrade to Version 8 when it we release it in late August!").  Days after Lion came out, the German software maker issued a statement that their current version is NOT compatible with Lion (knocking all of their Mac customers out of the scanning business until the newer, functional Silverfast version is ready.)
On the company's owners-only discussion groups, Mac customers have expressed outrage that manufacturer Lasersoft was not clearer on this meltdown in the making.  Users have either had to re-install Snow Leopard, stop scanning for the next several weeks, or buy, install and learn different scanning software.
Lasersoft has even "re-written history"; pulling earlier press coverage (which claimed their software would work with Lion) and "clarifying" that the Version 8 software (which they say will work with Lion) will be available for purchase sometime next month.  The moderator has actually censored or deleted entries offering the name of rival VueSoft (which is Lion compatible), and has removed posts from dissatisfied customers.
Lasersoft discussion groups are amusingly Orwellian right now, with counter accusations hurled at customers who are just trying to get their software to work. Company spokesmen are issuing clumsily-worded taunts instead of apologies or simple damage control language.  UPDATE: the company has now removed some of their own more uncaring responses to users, but there is still some funny reading there.
The whole episode begs the question of what Lasersoft was doing between spring and fall of this year when they should have been preparing a more seamless transition to Lion.  New customers who purchased the pricey Silverfast software in March are doubly out of luck-- the “free upgrade”  to Lion-compatible version 8 only applies to purchases made after June first.