Printer recommendations sought...

[Aglaeo]

I'm preparing to get my first home PC, and looking into printers. I will need one color inkjet printer (plain printer; no fax, copier, and all that rot), and one B&W laser printer. For the inkjet, I require good print quality (mostly for Google photos),& separate ink color cartridges (not gawd-awful expensive). I would like it to work with both XP Pro SP2 and Linux (either LinuxMint 7 or PCLinux OS 2010), as my PC will have dual-boot/dual OS, but this is not a requirement. For the B&W laser, it must have above average print quality, the toner cartridge reasonably priced, and printer must be reliable (no frequent repair bills). Anyone actually have a inkjet or laser that fits the above (and are happy with it) please advise brand/model number! thanks.

 

[qwertydude]

I think if you get a good inkjet you may not really need the laser. If you print often, since you're only doing online photos, I think an Epson workforce series printer with a CISS would be ideal for you. I recommend one with a button reset vs auto reset chips since newer printer software tends to not work well with older chips and arc chips. You'll then have the option of doing full color documents and not have to worry about refill procedures, just pour more ink in. But CISS systems have their own maintenance regime of having to print something out every few days to keep from clogging but it's a lot easier than refilling cartridges. Photo quality is also pretty decent though not on par with epson's excellent 6 color printers but it's still perfectly acceptable. And print quality in B&W is better on inkjets than laser plus refilling black ink is cheap enough to make inkjets comparable to laser printers' costs especially when you factor in laser printer costs and energy requirements.

Epson's also have a durability factor better than Canon's because of their piezo print heads and overall more durable construction. New Canon's get cheaper every generation and I find their generations are coming by faster than ever with even more anti-refill technology.

 

[Aglaeo]

Thanks for your advice. I'll look into it, though I'd of liked specific model number...not all models of any brand seem equal. As for refilling cartridges, I've zero interest; that's the point behind individual ink cartridges that are reasonably priced. I prefer laser for B&W photos, and especially printing, so I do want a laser.

I think if you get a good inkjet you may not really need the laser. If you print often, since you're only doing online photos, I think an Epson workforce series printer with a CISS would be ideal for you. I recommend one with a button reset vs auto reset chips since newer printer software tends to not work well with older chips and arc chips. You'll then have the option of doing full color documents and not have to worry about refill procedures, just pour more ink in. But CISS systems have their own maintenance regime of having to print something out every few days to keep from clogging but it's a lot easier than refilling cartridges. Photo quality is also pretty decent though not on par with epson's excellent 6 color printers but it's still perfectly acceptable. And print quality in B&W is better on inkjets than laser plus refilling black ink is cheap enough to make inkjets comparable to laser printers' costs especially when you factor in laser printer costs and energy requirements.

Epson's also have a durability factor better than Canon's because of their piezo print heads and overall more durable construction. New Canon's get cheaper every generation and I find their generations are coming by faster than ever with even more anti-refill technology.