Taken from an article on Byte.com - featured on Wilhelm Institutes web
site - in regards to Kodak's 100 year durability claim on Ultima Papers:
"When I asked a Kodak representative if he flet comfortable making the 100
year claim with Lexmark's latest inks, he said that realistically six years
might be more like it."
Read the entire text here:
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/WIR_J_04/WIR_Japan_Hardcopy_2004_HW.pdf
I work for Office Max and we have Lexmark printers on our showroom floor.
I've never sold one. Ever. Office Max has tried several times to GIVE
1-year extended warrantees away FREE with Lexmark printers. I still have
never sold one. Personally I don't even try, but when a customer asks about
them (typically enticed by the price), I use above quotes like I mentioned,
mention cost of ownership, and they always end up going home with a Canon,
Epson or HP. Lexmark's are the cheapo units we use to lure customers into
the store. If you end up actually buying one, I say sux-2-b-u.
A Lexmark rep tried to talk to me when I went to Best Buy to buy my Canon
i960 (we only sell the i860 at my work--bummer). He was in for more than he
bargained for. His first mistake was trying to sell to a salesman. But his
biggest mistake was trying to sell crap to an informed buyer.
Read: this newsgroup
Read:
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/
Read:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/printers.html
The more you know, the happier you'll be with your purchase.
My printer recommendation is the Canon i960. Once you browse this newsgroup
a bit, you'll see I'm not alone.