printer advice anyone? Computer Guru's Unite!!!

[mkiker2089]

I have two printers now that I use on a wireless network. One is a Brother laser printer. I like it but anytime it changes it's IP due to a router reboot my computers lose it. Logically that's not a huge issue since a- I don't reboot the router very often and b- I can easily (and have) set it to static IP. However that's annoying to me. It's one of those bugs that aggravates me. I realize that Brother is geared more towards small office crowds than home use and this printer in particular is a low volume office model (HL-2270dw)

I also have a Cannon All in One which is nice. However it has a flaw. While my computer finds it effortlessly (it's something in the way the port is configured. Brother sets an IP unless you change it. Cannon must have something running in the background to look for it that I haven't detected) my router logs it's name as -- which is annoying. I can change the name of the Brother, and have but the Cannon looks like an intruder on my router logs. It's a Pixma 860 I think. I'm too lazy to look right now.

Anyone have experience with Lexmark? I'm thinking of getting a new All in One printer. One WITHOUT a fax since I think fax is pointless and don't like the way it shows up as an extra printer. I'd want it to be a good scanner, good photo printer, and perhaps have a black pigment as well as black photo ink (which seems to be unique to Cannon as far as I can tell.) Then again maybe the extra black is just a red herring. I'm not sure.

And before anyone asks, I can be that fussy. It's not really that I'm fussy but more that I like new toys and binge on things for a short time before losing interest.

[mkiker2089]

Let me add that I want a black printer. Actually if anyone knows of a candy apple red or deep gloss burgundy printer I'll buy it no matter what the cost. Until then I want a pretty black one. The Brother printer is sexy in a 1984 monolith sort of way.

[Steve T Power]

Inkjets are the devil's children. It matters not, as long as you stay the hell away from inkjets.

[mkiker2089]

Interesting. So you have a full color laser printer I take it.

I actually thought about getting a dot matrix printer but they are crazy expensive now.

[stypee]

Never, NEVER, EVER buy a LEXMARK!

I've probably owned at least one printer by every brand out there and without question, LEXMARK WAS THE WORST!

Without question the highest piece of crap ever made!

I own a Kodak WiFi printer (black) and LOVE IT..... I'd go for that if you are seeking a new one. I have the ESP 7250

[mkiker2089]

I was actually getting money ready for a Kodak but stopped due to one flaw that makes all other flaws look like nothing. It uses (as do all Kodaks from what I've seen) a tricolor cartridge rather than single colors. I've run into a problem with that before. Either it stops printing when the first color runs out or it keeps printing and you lose pieces of your picture. I had an HP that had that as well as an older Lexmark 3-1. the reason I was re-evaluating Lexmark is because they learned their lesson on that one.

Incidently enough my sister bought a stupid expensive HP printer and something on her machine kept it from fully installing. Lexmark's simpler software installed fine.

[Steve T Power]

I was actually getting money ready for a Kodak but stopped due to one flaw that makes all other flaws look like nothing. It uses (as do all Kodaks from what I've seen) a tricolor cartridge rather than single colors. I've run into a problem with that before. Either it stops printing when the first color runs out or it keeps printing and you lose pieces of your picture. I had an HP that had that as well as an older Lexmark 3-1. the reason I was re-evaluating Lexmark is because they learned their lesson on that one.

Incidently enough my sister bought a stupid expensive HP printer and something on her machine kept it from fully installing. Lexmark's simpler software installed fine.

Color prints on a Kodak also look like arse, even by inkjet standards... On the plus side, if you're just using it for black text, their ink cartridges are MUCH cheaper than all the competition,

If you do ANY (and I mean even enough to necessitate buying colored ink more than twice a year) full color printing, just spend the extra hundred bucks or so and get a color laser. More prints, more quality, faster, quieter, smoother, more reliable, and you won't be replacing it in a year.

If you're mainly dealing with black text on white paper, get whatever the hell inkjet balances cost and cost of refills the best, they're all alike, they WILL ALL fail, they all SUCK equally. If you do a TON of document printing, get a monochrome laser for the extra 50 or so and be happy.