Okay first off here's my gripe. Last month Pixma MP190 and shelled out $44.00 (it was on sale). Well (2-12-09) I went to my local big box retailer to purchase a all in one printer (printer/copier/scanner) Looked at all the choices (didn't want to spend a lot of money) and setteled on the Canon PIXMA MP 190. ($44.00 and cartridges are INCLUDED) NOTE THIS: IT USES THE CANON 30 BLACK CARTRIDGE and the CANON 31 COLOR CARTRIDGE.

Yesterday I ran out of ink, so I went back to my local retailer to get new cartridges!! To get both cartridges 30 AND 31 WAS going to cost me $36.00!!

Now, I look down on the bottom shelf and guess what?? There sits a Canon Pixma iP2600 ($33.00 and cartridges are INCLUDED, the SAME ONES I NEED for my other printer). So I go ahead and buy another whole printer (save my self $3.00). Granted the iP2600 is only a printer, but I saved some money.

My point is what is Canon trying to prove. They say their products are "GENERATION GREEN, Environmentally Conscious Products With the Next Generation In Mind." What came up with that? How Green are you being when you market products like this (with ink included) that can be purchased for less than buy 2 replacement ink cartridges? It's beyond belief that 2 ink cartridges are more than a whole printer itself.

I was really pissed by the time I drove home. Got there and fired off a few consumer reviews on both printers and then fired off a rather strong email to Canon. Got a email back from them "thanking me for my concern about being eco-friendly(Being GREEN) ****MIND YOU THIS I"M NO FRIGGIN TREE OR BUNNY HUGGER, BUT I HATE WASTEFULNESS, BUT I ALSO LIKE SAVING A FEW $$$ TOO**** and that they will forward my concerns to their marketing, research and development departments. We'll see what they say and I'll pass it along.

Now, here's where I need some suggestions. What all in one printers do you use? I am going back to HP.(their ink is the least expensive) I need some ideas of the best one for under $200.00, but am open to other manufacturers too except EPSON OR CANON. I'm done with those. So if anyone out there will give me their opinions and thoughts I'd appreciate it.
Thanks..........Chris


So now that

 

Not unusual. Also, you may find that the original cartridges have less ink that the replacements. Just starter cartridges. If you think that's bad, try a color laser sometime.

 

I agree, it's a big pain. Often times a new printer costs less than replacement cartridges. I've been using a Lexmark Z1300 for the past couple years and I'm pretty happy with it. Given the frequency I use it, it's not a big deal to spring for a new cartridge every once in a while, and I buy a color cartridge even less.

 

HP's ink is NOT the least expensive. Kodak's is. They advertise that they have to lowest cost ink in the industry.

 

Another big gimmick is a lot of printers will tell you its out of ink before it actually is. On my Mom's printer, it said it was out of ink and wouldn't print anymore, but when it quit, the pages had yet to even start fading. So I was all mad at it, and a friend of mine showed me if you color over the stupid little sensor that "detects" the ink with a sharpie, it gets fooled into thinking its full of ink, and you can use all of the ink in the cartridge.

 

That is why you first have to ask yourself why you need an all in one. I used to sell them, and the printer is always cheap, to get you to buy, and make up for it in the ink you purchase. Some of the refill kits work, some don't. Some of the cannons and epson you can buy generic bulk type cartridges to use. But if you print pictures with these you are not going to get quality prints.
Personally I went black laser printer. Cost $75 and print to your hearts content(almost). I also bought a small photo printer that is specific for photos only. Ink is $30 for 6 color and 100 sheets of 4x6. But that is all I print for size of photos and it works for us.
The ink jets also don't like sitting for any length of time, as the print heads will dry up and render the ink and printer useless. The laser, no problem.
But you have to look at your options of what you need and why?

 

lexmark are the same out here in the UK £30 for a printer and £45 for the cartridges ??


makes me mad , do they want us to use cartridges form other sources ??
i get my replacement carts from ebay at less than half the price lexmark , cannon sell them for.
its not as if the ink costs more to produce than the printer in the first place ?

it will be cheaper to get all your prints done at walmart soon, in the photo machine.

 

I bought a Kodak all in one printer to replace the HP PSC 2400 all in one that has started to die.
The black and color ink cartridge for the HP ran about 60 bucks total.
The black and color (pigment ink) for the Kodak runs 22 bucks for both at Best Buy.
It prints great color photos on 4x6 photo paper.

Only problem I have with is that it's very noisy when starting up after being turned on and I have to clean the print heads often. Also, it won't read one of my SD cards from my Nikon camera. Not sure why it reads one and not the other.

 

Just my opinion,,,,, but all this "green" crap is just a marketing gimick, they see all the greenies who think you can make everything in life greener, and it makes them FEEL better to buy it so the companies have jumped on the bandwagon. Now don't get me wrong, I am all about smart conservation, and not wastefulness, but unless your living in a tee-pee and living off the land, "going green" is just a bunch of feel good nonsense.

Don't buy a Dell either, they are cheap when bought with the comp. and piles of poo,,,
And the last time I bought ink, I think I had to sign loan docs.....

 

I bought one of the Kodak All-In-One printers on Woot for something like 39 bucks, refurbished a few months ago. It's been great, just a little on the slow side is all but I don't do a whole lot of printing. Print quality is outstanding and yes, the refills are cheap. I just ordered my first refills (yes, the starter cartridges included with the printer contain less ink than the refills) and I paid 46 bucks total including shipping for six cartridges (three color, three B/W).

The reason they're so cheap is that they don't have the print heads built into the cartridge, they're in the printer. I read that sometimes they don't work too well with a refill and you have to send to Kodak for a free replacement, but we'll see. If I have a problem I'll try cleaning it first and go from there. For what I use it for (and yes, I do use all the functions but the printer is the one I use most often) it beats the hell of of my POS Lexmark that started giving me trouble within the first month or so and has way overpriced cartridges.

 

Is the one that will NOT work in it an SD"HC" or High Capacity card? Check to see if the one that does work a 2GB card (or less) and the new one a 4GB (or more). These new cards will not work in the old hardware.