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Adham · May 13, 2001, 02:56 AM

I'm looking for an inkjet printer in the $100-200 range to replace our Epson 740 that's worked really well for us. Ideally the new printer would have similar qualities, i.e. ability to do near-photo quality prints on photo paper, good black text, reasonably fast, reliable, etc. I'm open to other brands besides Epson.

Thanks!

ddiokno · May 13, 2001, 06:09 AM

Hi Adham,
Question... what computer are you using this printer with? The reason I ask is that the 740 supported both serial and USB... and if your computer is older and only has serial, that severely restricts your choice of printers... If you need a serial printer, I would recommend the Epson 900 or 980's....
good luck
dave

Cipher13 · May 13, 2001, 06:11 AM

I have an Epson 740 which has been excellent to us too.
I'd have to recommend either another 740, or better yet, an Epson Stylus Colour 760, which is even better...

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mail: cipher13@mac.com

Adham · May 13, 2001, 06:46 AM

I'll be using it primarily with a Powerbook G3, and if my wife will let me, a TiBook as well, so USB will definitely be the way to go.

ddiokno · May 13, 2001, 09:01 AM

I've had great experiences with Epson printers... you might want to go to their website and click on store... they have a lot of their printers as refurbs at substantially discounted prices (still carrying a one year warranty...)
dave

rambo47 · May 13, 2001, 11:17 AM

I just replaced my Epson 740i with another Epson, the stylus Color 880. The 740i was such a teriffic printer for me for 2 years, no problems, that I was tempted to just get another like Cipher said. But CompUSA had such a deal I went with the 880.

What happened to my 740i was strange. I began to notice faint blotches on pages I printed so I used the head cleaning program for the first time ever. It seemed to make the problem worse the more I ran it, and then the printer quit giving ink alltogether. The mechanism moved back and forth as the paper fed into the printer but no ink ever came out. The printer reports 3/4 full for both black and color. Is there a reset button hidden somewhere?

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romeosc · May 14, 2001, 12:10 AM

CompUsa had theEpson 880 (2880vs 1440) for $149 less rebate of $49

Too good of a deal to pass up.

Steve

PeteWK · May 16, 2001, 02:05 AM

Hi Romeo. I've got a whole collection of Epson Printers, and a couple of HPs to boot. I've got a 740 and the 777 that replaced it. I've also got the 900 (it's printing something even as we speak) and a week ago I got a 980. You can get the 980 for 200 bucks after rebate and the 777 will set you back 100 bucks. Totally different printers. I have the 777 for letters and the like while I use the 900 series printers as printing presses. Those guys are the work horses. If you need to do 11 X 17, go with the 1200 series printers.

PeteWK

G4ME · May 16, 2001, 07:51 AM

I think this was posted here befor but go with epson they have a great reputration with high quality printing and reliability I got the epson 740 for 40 bucks two years ago and its been running perfectly ever since. Best printer that I ever got and way better than my old 1200 apple ink jet.

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ddiokno · May 16, 2001, 08:34 AM

The other thing to consider when purchasing a printer is the TOC (total cost of ownership). Sometimes you can find very inexpensive printers (ie lexmark has printers for $49), but when you actually look into replacement cartridges, those could end up costing more than the printer (ie the cartridges for the inexpensive lexmarks I believe are $25-$30 a cartridge). I usually look to coordinate a printer around aftermarket cartridges that are available (ie many companies make comparable replacement cartridges for the Epsons). My source for cartridges for my Epson 900 is Ink4Art I have found 6 packs of cartridges for $39.99 (where a single epson brand might cost me $25-$30). best of luck!
dave

Adham · May 16, 2001, 09:03 AM

Thanks for all the advice. After listening in here and looking for reviews elsewhere, I'm now deciding between the Epson 880 and 980, and just trying to figure out if it's worth the extra money for the 980. Can anyone say anything about print quality, speed, or other issues that might make it worth more?