Well let me ask you this:
Do I even WANT wireless? Really....is it a feature that
is must have in your opinion?
Or is just wired Ethernet fine?
IOW..... would you NEVER buy any printer that didn't
have built-in wireless?
I don't own a network ready printer. It's not that I wouldn't buy
one, it was simply a cost issue. My ip5200 was sub $150, the mp830
was $220 at the time, spare was $150. The mx850 wasn't out when I
bought my printer.
The "only" reason I upgraded to the mp830 was I absolutely needed a
sheet feeder, and the spare was bought for the spare head, inktanks,
and printer if needed.
The only reason I didn't replace my mp830, non network model, with the
mx850 was there was no technical reason to replace it. It's happy
sitting on a wire and printing.
Wireless was not a stock feature when I bought the printer. It was a
feature offered on higher end models.
If the cost was equal, and there was no sacrifice in performance, I
would without a doubt go with either a network model, or wireless.
With network, I can move my printer to a better place and not clutter
up my desk. With wireless, I can ditch the wire, but have the option
of up to a 100m wire in case I absolutely needed higher than 54mbit.
This is where I have to adjust for dancing prices.
ip4600 About $86 on amazon
mp620 $110 circuit city
I'm not in the market for the ip4600. AFAIK the new model won't do CD
printing without European or Asian cartridges (this is a guess), the
tanks are smaller, the head is smaller, and AFAIK there is no
improvement in print quality. There isn't a chip resetter for them.
But if I was in the market, I would SERIOUSLY consider the mp620 over
the ip4600. It has network and wireless, scanner, card slots. These
are VERY useful features well worth an extra $25 IMHO.
For me my priority is as follows
1) Quality of output
2) takes bulk ink with ease
3) Does CDs
4) Serviceability (can be maintained for at least 3 years)
5) Speed
Wifi isn't on my list. I'd like it, but I don't need it. Even if I
did have it, odds are I would used wired network for the sake of
reliability, but it just so happens new network ready printers offer
WiFi.
HP D5460 - $70 from shopping.hp.com
HP C6380 - $145 from amazon.com (sears is out of stock $99)
$75 gets you s scanner, cardslots, and wifi. Not too much to spend
for an AIO, but I personally don't consider wifi/network worth $75
extra. But that's just me.
Kodak [note, I know nothing about these printers, other than they
exist]
Easyshare 5100 -$100 (kodak direct)
ESP 5 -$150 (kodak direct)
ESP 7 $200 (wifi) (kodak direct)
ESP is the current generation, and the wifi model is $50 more.
But all of this presumes I have my heart set on a specific printer,
and wanted that printer with wifi.
HP 6988 - $90 on newegg.com free shipping
Meets with your price requirement. VERY good text, good color
printing.
