Epson 320R. We tried 4 printers at home before settling on this one. I love it although it could be smaller.
We had to have a photo printer and when I compared prints between units we found that the Epson print quality was the best. This unit also features USB 2.0. I considered getting a multi-function unit, but that required it becoming super bulky! Instead we opted for separate units and my Canon LIDE 60 scanner is very svelte.
I've had great experiences with Epson in general and I also like that this printer uses individual ink cartridges for all 6 colors, so I only have to replace the one that is empty.
This printer, about 1.3 years old, replaced an aging Epson 880 which produced fantastic photos and richer black using only tri-color ink. Unfortunately that printer started to leave marks on pages so it had to go. Not bad for a 6+ year run!
Canon ip3000, Brother MFC-3240C, and Brother MFC-5440CN
I love the new Brother printers because of their Mac support, they use CUPS so it works without a hitch, no weird software based printer drivers such as Canon's that makes it so that you can't share your printer.
The MFC-5440CN is on sale at Officemax for 89.99 after rebate, it has most notably:
-Network Connection
-USB Connection
-Flatbed and 35 page auto sheet feeder
-Fax, Copy, Scanning capabilities
One of the cooler things is that you can use the scanner's on board navigation system to initiate a scan and direct it to a computer, instead of using a computer to initiate the scan. And the scanning feature even works through network connections. Prettttyyyy coooool
I have a Brother HL-2070N laser that is attached directly to my network via ethernet. The Mac sees it as a Bonjour device. It is only black and white, however.
My wife has a Brother MFC-420CN. It is not currently attached to the network, but I have had it attached in the past and the Mac saw it as well with no problems. The MFC-420CN is an all-in-one inkjet color printer/copier/scanner/fax.
I have a Lexmark C510 hooked up to a Airport Express. I should have waited and invested in something with better resolution.. but it's workhorse and Lexmark has been really fantastic on their customer service.
one thing to note on brother inkjet printers such as the MFC-5440CN, if you get one make sure you buy one that uses the newer styled inkjet cartridges, the LC-41 cartridges.
Older brother printers that used the LC-31 cartridges were notorious for permanent print head clogging that resulted from using 3rd party inks and even their own inks in some cases. I had the unfortunate experience of owning a Brother MFC-3220C that used the LC-31 cartridge. Went through 8 printers before they upgraded me to a MFC-3240C that had the new LC-41 cartridge and improved print heads. (which I might add is now 9 months old and still running strong)
Their customer service is pretty good, actually better than Canon's. When I called about my Canon printer with customer support, they were quite rude and tried to find ways to invalidate my warranty, and in the end made me bring my Pixma printer to a service center 20 miles away from my house. Brother's customer service was a ton better, even though I had a bad model, each time they promptly shipped me a replacement within 2-3 days, I stuck the old printer in it's box and shipped it back using a prepaid label they provide.
Oh, back to the Brothers, the new style cartridge/print head design is quite... different from what other manufacturers do. The individual ink cartridges go into these docks at the bottom right of the printer (which make really cool air compression sounds when you put them in). the print heads are completely detached from the ink cartridges. From what I can guess, the cartridges are pressurized and ink is fed into the print heads using tubing. Kinda interesting really.... The ink cartridges are clear and are just filled with ink, no sponges. Remarkably they are the easiest things to refill in the world, and the printer automatically recognizes that the ink cartridges are full. It looks like there is a piece of plastic inside that floats, and depending on the height the plastic is at the printer knows how much ink is left in it.
One last thing, about once a year Brother also releases firmware updates for their printer so the printer can always run at it's best.
Comments
Great colour, cheap and has individual ink cartridges. Prints photos very well and does an good job printing documents.
We had to have a photo printer and when I compared prints between units we found that the Epson print quality was the best. This unit also features USB 2.0. I considered getting a multi-function unit, but that required it becoming super bulky! Instead we opted for separate units and my Canon LIDE 60 scanner is very svelte.
I've had great experiences with Epson in general and I also like that this printer uses individual ink cartridges for all 6 colors, so I only have to replace the one that is empty.
This printer, about 1.3 years old, replaced an aging Epson 880 which produced fantastic photos and richer black using only tri-color ink. Unfortunately that printer started to leave marks on pages so it had to go. Not bad for a 6+ year run!
I love the new Brother printers because of their Mac support, they use CUPS so it works without a hitch, no weird software based printer drivers such as Canon's that makes it so that you can't share your printer.
The MFC-5440CN is on sale at Officemax for 89.99 after rebate, it has most notably:
-Network Connection
-USB Connection
-Flatbed and 35 page auto sheet feeder
-Fax, Copy, Scanning capabilities
One of the cooler things is that you can use the scanner's on board navigation system to initiate a scan and direct it to a computer, instead of using a computer to initiate the scan. And the scanning feature even works through network connections. Prettttyyyy coooool
My wife has a Brother MFC-420CN. It is not currently attached to the network, but I have had it attached in the past and the Mac saw it as well with no problems. The MFC-420CN is an all-in-one inkjet color printer/copier/scanner/fax.
But, I would never buy another Dell product again. Their tech support is horrible, and the quality of the printer isn't that great.
They don't even have downloadable PPDs for this printer online, even though it's sold as Mac compatible and it has Postscript 3 onboard.
the UK. Maybe they're not marketed here?
Still looks like Canons and Epsons are the favourites?
Some very good points. I'd have to learn how to set up wireless for mine as well.
So what does everyone else use if its' not Canon/Epson/Brother?
Older brother printers that used the LC-31 cartridges were notorious for permanent print head clogging that resulted from using 3rd party inks and even their own inks in some cases. I had the unfortunate experience of owning a Brother MFC-3220C that used the LC-31 cartridge. Went through 8 printers before they upgraded me to a MFC-3240C that had the new LC-41 cartridge and improved print heads. (which I might add is now 9 months old and still running strong)
Their customer service is pretty good, actually better than Canon's. When I called about my Canon printer with customer support, they were quite rude and tried to find ways to invalidate my warranty, and in the end made me bring my Pixma printer to a service center 20 miles away from my house. Brother's customer service was a ton better, even though I had a bad model, each time they promptly shipped me a replacement within 2-3 days, I stuck the old printer in it's box and shipped it back using a prepaid label they provide.
Oh, back to the Brothers, the new style cartridge/print head design is quite... different from what other manufacturers do. The individual ink cartridges go into these docks at the bottom right of the printer (which make really cool air compression sounds when you put them in). the print heads are completely detached from the ink cartridges. From what I can guess, the cartridges are pressurized and ink is fed into the print heads using tubing. Kinda interesting really.... The ink cartridges are clear and are just filled with ink, no sponges. Remarkably they are the easiest things to refill in the world, and the printer automatically recognizes that the ink cartridges are full. It looks like there is a piece of plastic inside that floats, and depending on the height the plastic is at the printer knows how much ink is left in it.
One last thing, about once a year Brother also releases firmware updates for their printer so the printer can always run at it's best.