Looking for a good but inexpensive All-In-One

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dejola
  • Start date Start date
D

Dejola

The array of available all-in-one (print, scan, copy, and sometimes
fax) is bewildering. There are numerous models from Hewlett Packard,
Epson, Canon to name a few.

I need to buy one for a friend and I want to make the right choice. My
friend insists she doesn't need one that can fax.

Is there any consensus about which of the three major brands sells an
all-in-one that is better than the rest?

The raps I've heard is that the HPs have troublesome paper feeding
mechanisms, the Epsons suffer from ink cartridge clogging, and he
Canons are very noisy.

I'm looking for the best of the crop in the under $100 range. I do
want digital card reader, Picturebridge, and a window for previewing
photos. Also want to print photos without computer involvement from
time to time.

Any suggestions?
 
The array of available all-in-one (print, scan, copy, and sometimes
fax) is bewildering. There are numerous models from Hewlett Packard,
Epson, Canon to name a few.

I need to buy one for a friend and I want to make the right choice. My
friend insists she doesn't need one that can fax.

Is there any consensus about which of the three major brands sells an
all-in-one that is better than the rest?

The raps I've heard is that the HPs have troublesome paper feeding
mechanisms, the Epsons suffer from ink cartridge clogging, and he
Canons are very noisy.
Click to expand...

Canons are not very noisy. Epson is more prone to clogging when sitting
unused but that is becoming less prevalent. HP used to have paper feeding
problems but I have not heard of it happening recently.

That said I would only get an All-in-One if you need an Automatic Sheet
Feeder (cheaper on a multifunction device) or space is a critical
requirement.

It is better to get a separate printer (the new Canon IP4600 being best)
and your choice of an Epson scanner (at least equal to the older 4180
Epson Perfection. Epson makes the better scanner and Canon makes the
better printer.

If you must get an All-In-One I would choose between one of the better
Canons or the new Epsons (Artisan 700 to be exact).

I would opt for one that has an ATF (auto sheet feeder) but it does cost a
little more.
 
The cost of the printer is unimportant. It's the cost of operating that you
should be looking at. Canon wins the toss no matter how you look at it, for
cost to operate, ease of use, quality and reliability. BTW, there's no such
thing as a cheap, quiet printer. Go with any of the Canon models that use
separate ink tanks.
Click to expand...

That is a no brainer and I would say that the new (to ship in October)
Canon IP4600 is price $30.00 less than the about to be discontinued IP4500
and the ink carts are about $2.00 per cart less money. Make sure you use
mfg ink as it well last longer and look substantially better and is more
resistant to clogging your printer especially if you do not print a great
deal.
 
That is a no brainer and I would say that the new (to ship in October)
CanonIP4600is price $30.00 less than the about to be discontinued IP4500
and the ink carts are about $2.00 per cart less money. Make sure you use
mfg ink as it well last longer and look substantially better and is more
resistant to clogging your printer especially if you do not print a great
deal.
Click to expand...

Liar.

http://www.druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=2323&t=news_canon_pixma_ip3600_und_ip4600

Firstly the pixma ip4600 only has 320 nozzles for the pigment black.

Second while the tanks cost less, their yield is less too. So, what
happens is it costs more to print.

I know very little about this printer, and it could be that there is a
benefit to the ink I don't know about. But there is a damn good
reason to stick with the ip4500. The ink costs less, the print speed
for text is higher.
 
I need to buy one for a friend and I want to make the right choice. My
friend insists she doesn't need one that can fax.
Click to expand...

Too bad, canon FAX models are dirt cheap on buy.com. Hopefully she
can live with fax.

You can get by without a standalone fax machine, in fact I do. I have
e-fax so inbound faxes go to my e-mail, and for outbound faxes I scan
to PDF and print from my fax modem or use a service like
faxzero.com.

Is there any consensus about which of the three major brands sells an
all-in-one that is better than the rest?

The raps I've heard is that the HPs have troublesome paper feeding
mechanisms, the Epsons suffer from ink cartridge clogging, and he
Canons are very noisy.

I'm looking for the best of the crop in the under $100 range. I do
want digital card reader, Picturebridge, and a window for previewing
photos. Also want to print photos without computer involvement from
time to time.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

First of all keep in mind that many of the budget models are not so
budget. For example someone I know bought the Canon MX-310, and as it
turns out black ink alone was about 9cents/page.

PG30 - Pigment Black
9ml tank @ $16.13
$1.79/ml $53/ounce
9cents/page @ 5% yield

CL-31
3.6ml x 3 (11ml) @ $19.53
1.77/ml $54/ounce
77pages @ 5% yield 25c/page
7.7pages @ 50% yield $2.50 page

Spending more for the printer saves in the long term if you use OEM
ink. The Canon mp530 and mp830 are better printers in terms of
resolution and color rendering, and for black the ink is about 3.2
cents/page.

PGI-5
26ml tank @ $16.00 or
62 cents/ml $18.33/ounce
500p @ 5% yield or 3.2cent/page

CLI-8 color tanks
13ml tank @ $13.99
$1.07/ml or $31/ounce
280 pages @5% yield or 5c/page
28 pages @ 50% yield 50c/page

The mp530 is $100 on buy.com. It doesn't have the screen that you
want, but it at least has pictbridge.

2000 pages black @ 5% yield on the mx310 $180
2000 pages black @ 5% yield on the mp530 $64
Savings $116

The mp830 has the screen, and is presently $153.99 on buy.com
http://www.buy.com/prod/canon-pixma...-printer-canon-pixma/q/loc/101/202367557.html

The mp530 has no screen, and is presently $101.99 on buy.com
http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearchresults.asp?querytype=home&qu=mp530&qxt=home&display=col

The mp830 is the better printer in terms of speed. It has a larger
printhead.

The mp970 sells for $267.98 on buy.com but there is a $100 rebate on
it. It has the screen, and takes 7 ink tanks. It also has Ethernet
and an on board screen.

---------------------------------------------

Kodak has printers at a reasonable price, and their ink is pretty
reasonable as well.
http://printers.kodak.com/

We're talking 2.5c/page for black. Color I'm not sure on but the
color tank costs $15 and it doesn't seem to be thimble sized. It's
also pigment so expect longer print life, but longer dry time and it
doesn't look as snazzy on glossy papers.

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=10586&pq-locale=en_US
$130 from Kodak

---------------------------------------------

The Epson clearance store is a good place to shop for printers as they
offer free shipping, I believe full warranty, and often their printers
are cheaper than the ink they come with. You suck much ink priming
the printer, but if you like their printers and want a spare, they
often cost less than the ink.

The drawback with Epson is they tend to offer either a photo printer,
or a document printer. Epson is pretty stellar for photos, but they
really don't have a machine i'd buy as a general purpose like HP or
Canon.
 
Liar.
Click to expand...

DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS IMBECILE. IF YOU GO TO CANONUSA.COM YOU WILL FIND
THE PRICE OF THE IP4600 IS ABOUT $30 LESS THEN THE IP4500 AND THE INK
CARTS ARE ABOUT $2.00 LESS.

If it is day and you say it is sunny this dunce will tell you it is night.
http://www.druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=2323&t=news_canon_pixma_ip3600_und_ip4600

Firstly the pixma ip4600 only has 320 nozzles for the pigment black.

Second while the tanks cost less, their yield is less too. So, what
happens is it costs more to print.

I know very little about this printer, and it could be that there is a
Click to expand...

I agree with that


benefit to the ink I don't know about. But there is a damn good reason
to stick with the ip4500. The ink costs less, the print speed for text
is higher.
Click to expand...

And yes the print speed for text is somewhat less for this PHOTO printer.
 
DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS IMBECILE. IF YOU GO TO CANONUSA.COM YOU WILL FIND
THE PRICE OF THE IP4600 IS ABOUT $30 LESS THEN THE IP4500 AND THE INK
CARTS ARE ABOUT $2.00 LESS.

If it is day and you say it is sunny this dunce will tell you it is night.
Click to expand...

But the YIELD on the cartridges is less, and they are smaller. The
end result is about 23% higher printing costs at least in euros.

Yes, the ip4500 lists for about $130, the ip4600 lists for about $100
on canonusa.com. This is true.

But
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-iP4500-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1222296530&sr=8-1
$106 from Amazon.com for the ip4500 shipped
Bigger head, larger tanks than the ip4600, faster text printing, lower
running cost.

And
http://www.buy.com/prod/canon-mp530...er-canon-pixma-mp530/q/loc/101/202866378.html
$101.99 from buy.com shipped
Same size head, larger tanks than the ip4600, lower running cost, and
fax, scanner, pictbridge.

Cost of the ip4600
BUY.com $109.99 shipped
Amazon.com $99.00 preorder shipped

For $3.00 more you can get a base all in one model
For $7.00 more you can get a bigger head

A good rule of thumb, retail store price trumps MSRP.
And yes the print speed for text is somewhat less for this PHOTO printer.
Click to expand...

But dude, it's a general purpose printer. That was rather the point
of including the pigment black tank. I know I print more text than
photos.
 
IntergalacticExpandingPanda said:
But the YIELD on the cartridges is less, and they are smaller. The
end result is about 23% higher printing costs at least in euros.

Yes, the ip4500 lists for about $130, the ip4600 lists for about $100
on canonusa.com. This is true.

But
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-iP4500-...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1222296530&sr=8-1
$106 from Amazon.com for the ip4500 shipped
Bigger head, larger tanks than the ip4600, faster text printing, lower
running cost.

And
http://www.buy.com/prod/canon-mp530...er-canon-pixma-mp530/q/loc/101/202866378.html
$101.99 from buy.com shipped
Same size head, larger tanks than the ip4600, lower running cost, and
fax, scanner, pictbridge.

Cost of the ip4600
BUY.com $109.99 shipped
Amazon.com $99.00 preorder shipped

For $3.00 more you can get a base all in one model
For $7.00 more you can get a bigger head

A good rule of thumb, retail store price trumps MSRP.


But dude, it's a general purpose printer. That was rather the point
of including the pigment black tank. I know I print more text than
photos.
Click to expand...
Don't bother pointing out the flaws in his reasoning. You might as well
argue with a utility pole. He doesn't care. Unless you're printing
professional, "artistic" photos, Measekite thinks you're printing junk
and have no business even owning a printer.

Come to think of it, you'd get better response from the pole.

TJ
 
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