Original printer cost vs later ink costs?

I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
considering future cartridge costs?

TIA,
Howie.

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 21:05:28 GMT, PortNatal wrote:

=I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
=considering future cartridge costs?
=
=TIA,
=Howie.

None of them. 2 to 3 sets of b/w and colour cartridges will cost $100 or
more, regardess of what printer you buy. There will be some who will tell you
that refilling the cartridges will save you money. That's true, but you may
find that the cost in aggravation is tto much for you. A typical printer will
last long enough that you will pay _at least_ ten times as much for the ink
as to buy the machine. (Footnote)

After much calculation, and headscratching, and peering at the innards of
birds, and watching straws drift in the wind, and consulting the tea leaves,
I have come to the conclusion that a laser printer is cheaper over the life
of the machine than any inkjet. As soon as the two prtinters in this house
have used up all the ink (I bought some on sale, for it will take a while),
the printers be trashed, and I will buy a laser printer.

Footnote: Inkjet printers are an interesting bit of technology,
sociologically. They are the first complex machines we've been offered as
consumers that cost much, much more to operate than to buy. We are used to
machines costing a lot to buy and relatively little to operate. So we tend to
ask the wrong questions about printers - how much they cost to buy, not how
much they cost to operate. Your question is the right question IMO -- and its
answer is not a pleasant one.

HTH&GL

--
Wolf Kirchmeir
If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on the train?
(Garrison Keillor)
just one w and plain ca for correct e-mail address

PortNatal wrote:
I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
considering future cartridge costs?


The Canon i850... probably the most popular printer in this newsgroup.

It's over a $100, but if you've half a brain, like me, you'll refill
with bulk ink (250 ml bottles) from a respected supplier, like
atlanticinkjet.com (separate divisions in the US and Canada). Their ink
is indistinguishable from Canon's in side-by-side photo comparisons.
Text seems to be spot on too. I've had this printer since March and I
haven't had to clean the print head yet because of clogging or streaking.

Refilling all 4 cartridges costs me about $5. The low cost of refilling
allowed me to buy a better, more expensive printer, and then print to my
heart's delight without worrying about ink usage. A long time ago I use
to do test prints in draft, in order to save ink. Not any more. I now do
test prints in the High Quality setting.

-Taliesyn

Taliesyn wrote:

PortNatal wrote:

I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
considering future cartridge costs?


The Canon i850... probably the most popular printer in this newsgroup.

It's over a $100, but if you've half a brain, like me, you'll refill
with bulk ink (250 ml bottles) from a respected supplier, like
atlanticinkjet.com (separate divisions in the US and Canada). Their ink
is indistinguishable from Canon's in side-by-side photo comparisons.
Text seems to be spot on too. I've had this printer since March and I
haven't had to clean the print head yet because of clogging or streaking.

Refilling all 4 cartridges costs me about $5. The low cost of refilling
allowed me to buy a better, more expensive printer, and then print to my
heart's delight without worrying about ink usage. A long time ago I use
to do test prints in draft, in order to save ink. Not any more. I now do
test prints in the High Quality setting.

-Taliesyn



I agree the Canons have the lowest ink/cartridge cost but what about
those print heads? I imagine some people will just replace the printer
when they need new heads. Any one out there have a lot of mileage on the
Canon print heads yet?

tomcas wrote:
Taliesyn wrote:

PortNatal wrote:

I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
considering future cartridge costs?


The Canon i850... probably the most popular printer in this newsgroup.

It's over a $100, but if you've half a brain, like me, you'll refill
with bulk ink (250 ml bottles) from a respected supplier, like
atlanticinkjet.com (separate divisions in the US and Canada). Their ink
is indistinguishable from Canon's in side-by-side photo comparisons.
Text seems to be spot on too. I've had this printer since March and I
haven't had to clean the print head yet because of clogging or streaking.

Refilling all 4 cartridges costs me about $5. The low cost of refilling
allowed me to buy a better, more expensive printer, and then print to my
heart's delight without worrying about ink usage. A long time ago I use
to do test prints in draft, in order to save ink. Not any more. I now do
test prints in the High Quality setting.

-Taliesyn



I agree the Canons have the lowest ink/cartridge cost but what about
those print heads? I imagine some people will just replace the printer
when they need new heads. Any one out there have a lot of mileage on the
Canon print heads yet?


Canon has stated that the print heads on the new "i" series printers
were designed to last the "life of the printer".

-Taliesyn

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
In article ,
Taliesyn wrote:


Canon has stated that the print heads on the new "i" series printers
were designed to last the "life of the printer".


Now, have they defined how long the printer is supposed to last?

No.

So, what they're actually saying--boy, these marketers are clever--is
that when the print heads go bad, the printer has by definition reached
its end of life. Time to buy a new one! Which is exactly the goal of
the marketers--to get you to keep buying.

"Last the life of the printer". Boy oh boy. What suckers they take us
for.


The average person (not you, of course) takes that to mean it should
serve well for several years. 3 years would be fine for me before I
move on the something better. No printer nor print head - this is my
sixth printer - has ever died on me; I've simply put them all "to rest"
or given them away when they served their time.

People like you, who live in constant fear of "marketers" amuse me to no
end. Everyone's out to get you, right?.... Chill out!

-Taliesyn

On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 20:31:35 -0400, Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:

=In article ico.ca,
= "Wolf Kirchmeir" wrote:
=
= After much calculation, and headscratching, and peering at the innards of
= birds, and watching straws drift in the wind, and consulting the tea leaves,
= I have come to the conclusion that a laser printer is cheaper over the life
= of the machine than any inkjet.
=
=That's not hard to figure out. I figure that 4th grade math is all you
=need.
=

Do I really have to use :-) to indicate irony??




--
Wolf Kirchmeir
If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on the train?
(Garrison Keillor)
just one w and plain ca for correct e-mail address

Unverified, but a Canon sales rep that happened to be at Fry's said that the
warranty on Canon printer heads was 5 years.

"Taliesyn" wrote in message
...
tomcas wrote:
Taliesyn wrote:

PortNatal wrote:

I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
considering future cartridge costs?


The Canon i850... probably the most popular printer in this newsgroup.

It's over a $100, but if you've half a brain, like me, you'll refill
with bulk ink (250 ml bottles) from a respected supplier, like
atlanticinkjet.com (separate divisions in the US and Canada). Their ink
is indistinguishable from Canon's in side-by-side photo comparisons.
Text seems to be spot on too. I've had this printer since March and I
haven't had to clean the print head yet because of clogging or
streaking.

Refilling all 4 cartridges costs me about $5. The low cost of
refilling
allowed me to buy a better, more expensive printer, and then print to
my
heart's delight without worrying about ink usage. A long time ago I use
to do test prints in draft, in order to save ink. Not any more. I now
do
test prints in the High Quality setting.

-Taliesyn



I agree the Canons have the lowest ink/cartridge cost but what about
those print heads? I imagine some people will just replace the printer
when they need new heads. Any one out there have a lot of mileage on the
Canon print heads yet?


Canon has stated that the print heads on the new "i" series printers
were designed to last the "life of the printer".

-Taliesyn

Maywood wrote:
Unverified, but a Canon sales rep that happened to be at Fry's said that the
warranty on Canon printer heads was 5 years.

I don't plan to grow old with my printers, I change them every 2 or 3
years because they simply become obsolete. Newer, better, faster, more
affordable printers are always coming out, and I need the best print
possible at the most affordable price. Hence, print heads failing due
to age is the least of my worries.

-Taliesyn


"Taliesyn" wrote in message
...

tomcas wrote:

Taliesyn wrote:


PortNatal wrote:


I'm in the market for a new printer up to $100. Which is the best buy,
considering future cartridge costs?


The Canon i850... probably the most popular printer in this newsgroup.

It's over a $100, but if you've half a brain, like me, you'll refill
with bulk ink (250 ml bottles) from a respected supplier, like
atlanticinkjet.com (separate divisions in the US and Canada). Their ink
is indistinguishable from Canon's in side-by-side photo comparisons.
Text seems to be spot on too. I've had this printer since March and I
haven't had to clean the print head yet because of clogging or

streaking.

Refilling all 4 cartridges costs me about $5. The low cost of

refilling

allowed me to buy a better, more expensive printer, and then print to

my

heart's delight without worrying about ink usage. A long time ago I use
to do test prints in draft, in order to save ink. Not any more. I now

do

test prints in the High Quality setting.

-Taliesyn



I agree the Canons have the lowest ink/cartridge cost but what about
those print heads? I imagine some people will just replace the printer
when they need new heads. Any one out there have a lot of mileage on the
Canon print heads yet?


Canon has stated that the print heads on the new "i" series printers
were designed to last the "life of the printer".

-Taliesyn