The scanner software works just fine in home mode. You can adjust the dpi and drag a box around what you are scanning to crop it as you scan it.

Two Free Photo Editors that are Twain compliant = you can scan straight into them if you want.
I use the Epson software and then open and edit each image, but for quick single scans, right from the software.
You can set the scanner to open each image after it's scanned in Home Mode.

This one is not as complicated, does most things you would need for cropping, color adjustment, cut and paste.

IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 , 2008, Vista, Windows 7.

http://www.irfanview.com/

This one does a little more, but costs the same. However for fast and easy to use, Irfanview is a winner. Get them both?

What does it do that the other Freewares don't do?

Layers
Usually only found on expensive or complicated professional software, layers form the basis for a rich image composition experience. You may think of them as a stack of transparency slides that, when viewed together at the same time, form one image.

http://www.getpaint.net/download.html

I have Photoshop CS4, and I still use Elements 7 for critical photo editing. I'm not doing art, I'm shooting editorial and news, so generally the most that one wants to do, ethically is adjust the color levels, brightness and contrast and sharpen. Elements is just fine as far as an all around photo editor.

I saw cameras with free elements which was still version 2, which is kind of scary to think about. Hopefully they have improved the free version?