Retiring an HP 930C

[Darius]

Hi Guys!

I know that this question about seeking advice for a new printer might be off topic in this forum, but I figured I'd post, as people who use Picture Window probably are a good resource for info on printers.

I'm simply in the process of laying an old HP 930C printer to rest! I'm turning to the people of this forum, to recommend a quality replacement. I'm open to suggestions for models that could be more pricey than was the old printer, if the overall economic advantages outweigh the slight pinch initially. I'm also interested in user friendliness of the new machine, as well. I want a printer, that is suited to all different tasks (all purpose), but one that also gives the best possible results in printing my photos. Is this possible, or is a dedicated photo printer the best solution for getting the most out of photos? And what are the tradeoffs, in terms of the cost of buying toner (etc.) and how long they will last, when matched against the goal of high quality printing?

I'm limited in knowledge about what to look for in the technical nitty gritty (specs, etc.), so I relay on input, here, to guide me along the process.

Someone advised me on an Epson R1900 (Retails at roughly $550). Is this good for all purpose, given that it's targeted for the photo printing enthusiast? Also, if I choose this one, can I expect to have to pay that much, or are there discounts possible. We have to keep in mind that the discounts may have to be avoided, if it means that there's a greater likelihood, that I'll end up with a lemon.

Are there any advantages to going with a Laser Printer, over an inkjet, or should I just stick to inkjet?

If any of you have questions, that you feel need answered, because I was too vague in my original question, please feel free to ask.

Thanks very much for all of your help and advice!

Darius

[Dieter Mayr]

Hi Darius

I wont give a specific advice for a specific model as i dont have insight in the market of the actual models.
But some general thougts:
A photo specific printer should always give better photo quality then a general purpose, especially with intense colors or subtile color variations. Modern photo specific printer have 8 or 9 color inks while general purpose printers have 4 color inks.

Laser printers are in my opinion no option for photo printing, in any case, they have their field in printing mass text or placative colors like in a digram, but not for quality prints of photos.

A mayor component of the overall price of printing is to my opinion the price of the inks, less the price of the printer.
What helps a printer that would cost only 100$ when a set of inks costs almost the same.
You will use a lot sets of inks during the lifetime of a printer, so the price of ink should be the mayor concern when thinking about printing costy.

Greetings from Salzburg

[Charles2]

You can do a helpful browse and search at the printers and printing forum http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1003 . Although the reader needs to evaluate opinions and doublecheck the accuracy of arcane statements of fact, the information is helpful.

Epson's U.S. website has a clearance page for refurbished models. But the same model is offered at Adorama.com at the same price, presumably new, plus the buyer gets a US$100 rebate (expires this month).

It helps focus on candidates by deciding the maximum width (short side) you will want to print while you own the printer. Epson, for example, has series of models that are basically the same except for different widths.