Printer upgrade
 

I've noticed that I've outgrown my printer big-time and the ink costs doesn't help much at this point. I figured that I needed a printer upgrade. Just have to pick between these three: The Canon PIXMA MG5470, HP Photosmart 5520, and the Epson L210. You can consider them as in the same price bracket.

So... what do you think is the best thing for me to get, considering both value for money and convenience factors? The Epson's ridiculously cheap ink tempts me, but I had enough of manual duplex, and I like how the Canon has two paper input cassettes, as well as being capable of printing on a disc label. I also don't like how the Epson can't perform borderless printing.

As for the HP, I kind of like how it has "apps", but I think I don't trust HP printers. Not having a USB cable out of the box is bad.

The Canon looks really neat when everything's folded up, even while loaded.

From what I've found, the Epson has a 30,000-page/1-year warranty, whichever comes first. The Canon has a 1-year warranty without any extensions (you can buy extensions, and three months are free).

Take a guess what else I'm trying to sell. (Hints: It's similar to the HP one, and it's in the Christmas 2012 thread.) :P Shipping to Singapore would be outrageous, though, so you're definitely not getting it.


Anyway, I personally recommend the Epson one if you plan to print a lot of photos or other color documents due to the economical ink cartridges.

If you plan to print mostly black text or images, for that cost, I would highly suggest scrapping inkjets and going with a quality laser printer. If you need a new scanner, buy a standalone CanoScan unit.

So I think it boils down to ink costs vs. convenience when it comes to picking between the Epson and the Canon.

As luck would have it, I asked around, and the Canon is supposed to have a two-year warranty, without the need to carry the printer all the way to a service centre in the event of a breakdown. I'm also a Canon fan when it comes to their printers. They have got brand loyalty down pat :P

The Epson would also make ink refills a bit of a hassle as it's on the right side, and I don't have any more desk space on the right.

Ugh. Monochrome laser printers are not an option as I deal with photos and colour documents regularly.

EDIT: I just checked stores, and, well, I've found the big catch with the Epson. New ink bottles? Well, it's going to be ridiculously hard to find them. At least I can order them online, and yep, they are cheap.

It's a bit of an unproven thing, though. And I still prefer buying my ink physically.

At least I know that I'll be skipping the HP at this point.

A printer that lets me print to my heart's content... or a printer that will make my life way easier when it comes to printing things...

The Epson's definitely going to be a downgrade from what I have except for ink costs, so... well, it's a bit tough. I also don't trust CISSes for some reason... Too many scares. Then again, it is official.

I guess I'm a sucker for feature sets. I'm probably the kind of person that's willing to lose some ink cost savings (or a lot) in exchange for being actually able to do stuff. Besides, either way up, it's better than the two-cart configuration I have right now.