My HP Photosmart (C5280) has finally irritated me enough to want to get rid of it. It currently refuses to print at all using "recycled" cartridges (always tricky with HP printers in my experience) and is now also flaky with HP branded cartridges. I am also thoroughly pissed off with the cost of Vivera ink and the fact that I have to replace the entire colour (or photo) cartridge when just one colour is depleted.
So I have been researching Epson MFPs which have 6 seperate ink cartidges.
My needs are classic home user:
- scanning 1200/2400 - photocopying - monochrome and colour printing up to A4 - photo printing up to A4 - ideally printing direct from assorted flash memory sticks (I have both sony and SD cards).
The Epson photo PX 650 looks as if it would fit the bill, but it does not appear in the linux openprinting database. There is a driver quoted for it which appears to require the installation of the lsb packages but I'm not sure how well supported this might be.
Does anyone here have any experience of this printer? And if not, what other epson (or non HP printer which meets the above requirements) can people recommend?
The main reason for using HP in the past is the fact that they are pretty good at supporting linux through HPLIP. Shame about the extortionate running costs.
Mick
(Anyone want a C5280 which /might/ be fixable)
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mick wrote:
So I have been researching Epson MFPs which have 6 seperate ink cartidges.
My needs are classic home user:
- scanning 1200/2400
- photocopying
- monochrome and colour printing up to A4
- photo printing up to A4
- ideally printing direct from assorted flash memory sticks (I have both sony and SD cards).
Well, assuming you'd consider separate units...
The Epson photo PX 650 looks as if it would fit the bill, but it does not appear in the linux openprinting database. There is a driver quoted for it which appears to require the installation of the lsb packages but I'm not sure how well supported this might be.
Does anyone here have any experience of this printer? And if not, what other epson (or non HP printer which meets the above requirements) can people recommend?
I've found my Epson Stylus photo R200 reliable, and it paints pretty good pics, but it is prone to drying-up if it isn't used regularly.
I've had it for quite a number of years now. But, it doesn't come with built-in scanner.
I an understand the draw of a small footprint, but if one function dies, effectively if you want to keep the small footprint, so do both.
(Anyone want a C5280 which /might/ be fixable)
Doubt it.
Have you considered using a print service or a dedicated dye-sub printer for photo (assuming 6x9") ?
I've pretty much given up with inkjet photo printers now...the last good one I had was an elderly photosmart 1215 that used the same carts as some of HP's plotters so was pretty cheap to run (they were huge compared to modern carts)
I think the ink prices are pretty much bad across the board otherwise. Epson I have had nothing but trouble with blocked nozzles and ink wasting cleaning sessions on every power cycle YMMV
Then if you don't need photo have you looked at cheap colour lasers...the consumables prices are scary per cart but tend to work out ok per page and there is no cleaning cycle or blockages through lack of use.
Personally I run a 2nd hand xerox workgroup grade colour laser...it costs £150 to refill with copy toner but that lasts an honest 6000 pages so the cost per print is excellent, it's network and proper postscript and there are xerox drivers available for Linux. If you were looking at entry level colour lasers then I think Brother and Samsung are good bets (for linux friendliness and consumables cost) just watch for any other consumables they might need (lasers can have a multitude of other consumables like drum/transfer units) but modern entry level is better in this respect.
Then if I really need a photo right away then I use a canon CP760 which compares well to a inkjet at 18p a print inc photo paper (it's a fixed cost regardless of page coverage due to the way a dye-sub uses the dry transfer ink) and prints better than the general highstreet photo service and certainly better than any inkjet I have seen. No linux compatibility but it can print from flash media so I just copy the pics on there and go. It may be that your only colour requirement is for photo in which case you could even consider a b/w laser for regular printing.
My only advice is to stay well away from HP. Buy nothing with the HP label on it, because it produces catastrophic rises in blood pressure levels.
It was a great company until Fiorina got her hands on it.
Peter
On 20 Oct 17:58, Peter Alcibiades wrote:
My only advice is to stay well away from HP. Buy nothing with the HP label on it, because it produces catastrophic rises in blood pressure levels.
It was a great company until Fiorina got her hands on it.
HP make some *very* nice kit... Printer wise, yes, I'll agree that they've had their peak, and the newer stuff just isn't as good (though, for printers these days I seem to favour Xerox).
However, for decent network switches, the HP ProCurve range are *always* the right answer.
Argos have an SX425W (wireless scanner and printer) at half price - whatever that is these days! - £59.99
(rrp £119.99)
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Anthony Anson -
Brett Parker -
mick -
Peter Alcibiades -
Wayne Stallwood