Which scanner is the best and easiest to use?

What is the best and easiest scanner to use for quickly and easily capturing and organizing images? A priority for me is a small desktop footprint and good quality. (I am excluding hand-held portable scanners . . . the sort that people would take with them on a business trip.) I feel sure that scanners have both come down in price, as well as in their versatility and value-added productivity/features.