A good, basic inkjet printer - any ideas?

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Bluebag

LoopKicker

Joined: Sep 11, 2003
Posts: 879
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 23, 2008 - 11:28 AM
Post subject: A good, basic inkjet printer - any ideas?

Hi folks.

My faithful old Canon S2000SPx inkjet has finally given up the ghost after four and a half years.

It's kind of a pity, because it had a lot going for it:
* Separate black and colour tanks.
* Cheap ink tanks (whether genuine or aftermarket/fake)
* Decent ink-tank life (about a month and a half at the rate I print).
* Bullet-proof reliability over the years.
* Acceptable b/w reproduction

But it looks like it's knackered, so I'm looking for a replacement.

Anyone have any recommendations (or warnings) for a cheap machine where the replacement ink cartridges aren't the same/double the price as the printer?

I do next to no colour printing, absolutely no photo printing (I'd rather get a photo lab to do it properly) and occasionally punt out 30-odd page documents from .pdf

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

leidelaohu

Wonder Wit

Joined: June 11, 2007
Posts: 3781

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 23, 2008 - 11:43 AM
Post subject: Re: A good, basic inkjet printer - any ideas?

Bluebag wrote:

I do next to no colour printing, absolutely no photo printing (I'd rather get a photo lab to do it properly) and occasionally punt out 30-odd page documents from .pdf.

If color printing is not an issue, then consider a laserjet instead. Much thriftier on supplies.

There's really no free lunch in printers ... if you save on the purchase price you get robbed on supplies. Inkjets are not a very good deal for black and white.

Bluebag

LoopKicker

Joined: Sep 11, 2003
Posts: 879
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 23, 2008 - 11:57 AM

Yeah, I get the TANSTAAFL thing with printers.

That's why I liked the Canon so much - at least it had a separate print head, so the tanks were just really hunks of sponge filled with ink encased in plastic, so no electronics on the cartridge and therefore low cost to make/fake.

Laser, eh? Sure, but are there any specific models anyone has in mind/have positive experience of owning/using?