New Printer

[Seedler]

I'm a total nub when it comes to printers.

I need a color inkjet, under $80 CAD.

Please suggest some good brands and models, all I know is that you should stay away from Lexmarks but why?

Help will be much appreciated

[Seedler]

Also could someone explain to me how the printer dpi resolution works? like how good is 4800by1200dpi, etc etc. What dpi would I need just for regular school work and the occasional photo printing?

[lynx]

Why avoid Lexmarks?

For me, it would be any printer which uses the "print head in the cartridge" technology patented by HP. The patent means that HP are the only manufacturers (even for Lexmark carts) so they can charge a fortune. You will find that the cost of replacement carts often exceeds the price of a new printer.

Non-HP branded printers simply have different outer casings and firmware from their HP counterparts. However, the firmware is one thing HP have got right - the others still make the mistakes HP corrected years ago so they are also much more inefficient in the use of ink.

About DPI. The "4800x1200" heading is misleading. You've got 4 colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) next to each other. Each colour is counted so you've really got 4x1200x1200 - think about it, droplets are round. But all manufacturers do the same so you are comparing like for like.

Under $80Can is asking a bit much - the only one I could recommend is this
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...646813&CatId=0

[Virtualbody1234]

Lexmarks have the replaceable "print head in the cartridge" technology so I see nothing wrong with them either. Look into refill centers in your local mall to lower your print costs.

You may be interested to have a scanner built-in too: Lexmark X3350 http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...affixedcode=WW

[Seedler]

Thx, I'll have a look into the Lexmark. What's a replacement cartridge cost for the Lexmark and Canon?

[Seedler]

What is "print head in the cartridge" technology? I googled it and didn't find any good hits.

[HCT]

What is "print head in the cartridge" technology? I googled it and didn't find any good hits.

the head its in the cartridge so every time you buy a ink cartridge you are also buying a new head

[Chewie]

I've always recommended Epson in the past but over the past 2 years I've had nothing but problems.

C42 - had three after Epson replaced two due to (1) constantly clogging print head and (2) ink somehow leaking onto rollers.
The third started dropping ink all over the place and I determined that the little soak up pad where the print head docks was 'over-full' and getting spread about by the head.
Managed to lose a spring putting it all back together so went and bought...

RX425 - had two now. Bought first last June and needed to clean the print heads twice within a month, using up plenty of ink. Next ink carts also needed two cleanings during their short life.
The third set of carts (at £30 a pop) got clogged while they were only half used and the cleaning system used up the rest without actually cleaning the heads. I took it to the local Epson Approved guy, who inserted his own carts and ran off 20 perfect test pages; he told me it only needed the heads cleaning - silly me! I still had to go and buy more carts.
When I dropped the printer back to him the next week with empty carts that had only managed half a dozen pages, he didn't seem to understand why I was so pissed off. The heads only needed cleaning, after all.
Epson told me (after I'd spent 25 minutes on their CS line again) they'd sanction a replacement.
That's what's sitting there now - unused since about last December, because after 3 pages on a fresh set of original Epson carts, the heads needed cleaning. Unfortunately for me, the cleaning utility did fuck all but waste the remaining ink in the carts - it won't try again as there's not enough ink.

When I have saved my money, I'm buying a Brother (the wife's got one and it's been faultless since last September).
The RX425, I'll take round to PC World and give to the first person I see taking one to the checkout. They can have it for free.

[Seedler]

Okay, bought the Lexmark Z517 for $39.99+$6 extended 2 year warranty. A cable, 1 black+1 color cartridge were included, and print quality was decent for a printer under 50 bucks. Has the print head in a cartridge technology too, so I'm perty happy with it.

Just hope the replacement print heads aren't too expensive.

Also, I've heard you could have empty print heads, and a tube feeding ink into the empty print head with an ink bottle ouside the printer? All you have to do is replace the ink bottle when it rans out and the ink bottles are much cheaper than filled print heads?

[peat moss]

Cripes you got the cable too ? Not bad shopping are your part or do you mean the power cable . I always got pissed off at having to buy the usb cable to connect to the computer .