"Brendan R. Wehrung" wrote in message
...
I've got a fairly new Canon MP600 for which I will eventually have to buy
ink. Office Depot sent me a coupon that might be useful ($10 off $25 or
more on ink) but I have to project which ink tanks are going to need
replacement first. My guess is large black...followed by which colors?

Nothing is running low enough yet to judge.

Brendan

Having read all the responses up to now, I can say that it depends entirely
on what you print most. If it is plain paper text based printing you will
be replacing the large black pigment-based cart. Even if you only print
black, plain paper, text based pages, however, the cleaning cycles that the
printer runs automatically will also eventually deplete the color carts as
well. If you print lots of photos the usual first cart to run out is yellow
(depending on what you are printing.)

Most of the discount coupons you receive from Office Depot or the other big
box office supply stores are for their own store brand of ink. There are
very few aftermarket carts available for these newer Canon printers that
have chipped carts. These carts are refillable and there are some
internet-based vendors with good inks especially formulated for these
printers. If you are so inclined to refill them you can find out about the
few good inks and vendors on this ng and on the Nifty-stuff forum. Pay no
attention to Measekite who tries to dissuade people from considering
aftermarket inks. He has no experience with them but responds with the old,
tired, biased statements that others with experience with these products can
personally refute.

The best solution to your question is to buy a complete extra set of carts.
You will then have the one that runs out regardless of which one it is. I
always have at least one spare of each color on hand. This also gives you
the opportunity to refill the carts as they become empty and have them on
standby. BETTER YET, if you see an ip4300 on an exceptional sale -
something under $100, you will pay little more than the cost of the ink
carts it comes with (it uses the same carts as your mP600) and you will then
have a spare printhead (the same in both printers) for you mp600 and/or an
extra printer on hand in case yours fails!