Damn you Canon

[eflat]

what is with all these new cartridges!?

every store and their mom carried canon cartridges at a reasonable price.

now they have these new p41 cartridges that aren't even available generic yet.

i wonder if they caught on that everyone was buying generic ink 😀

 

[HO]

I don't think everyone is buying generic ink. Most generics are, at best, a waste of money if you care about print quality and longevity. At worst, they will trash your printer.

There *are* good 3rd party solutions from companies like Media Street and Pantone, but they are NOT cheaper than the manufacturer's own inks unless you're investing in an outboard inkfarm (pint bottles).

 

[Zepper]

Swiftink.com's inks are excellent, and while not the cheapest, they are still about 1/3 of OE costs. They say it'll be a month or two before they'll able to clone the new tanks.

Last year's models are still the better buy, but they are becoming scarce. My nearest Staples still had a few the last time I checked and at good prices (some 4000s and a 5000 or two).

.bh.

And BTW, it's Canon...

 

[mchammer]

bwahaha, picked up a ip3000 for $50 and another one for $30, free shipping too.

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Swiftink.com's inks are excellent, and while not the cheapest, they are still about 1/3 of OE costs. They say it'll be a month or two before they'll able to clone the new tanks.

Last year's models are still the better buy, but they are becoming scarce. My nearest Staples still had a few the last time I checked and at good prices (some 4000s and a 5000 or two).

.bh.

And BTW, it's Canon...

i know. i type really fast and rarely reread what i write 😉

 

[IronMentality]

The Canon MP390 was a great printer. It's a shame they discontinued it. Cheap all-in-one that also faxed...

 

[Lemon law]

to IronMentality,

I have heard good reviews on the Canon multifunctionals based on the now discontinued Canon ip1500 printer engine that use the BCI-24 black and tricolor cartridges. In terms of print quality these printers are very very good for a bottom tier printer. In terms of consumable cost economy, anything multifuctional based on the ip4000 printer engine--the MP750, 76-, &780 is way better on consumable costs and slightly better on quality.

But to get a fax, its either the bottom tier MP390 or the MP780 with a street price about $100.00 higher than the mp390. As for me, I got a deal on the MP730 based on the now discontinued i850 printer engine. ( assuming you are boycotting the new chipped canon printers )

But if antisipate doing alot of printing, at what point is the MP780 the better choice over the MP390? Just depends on the deal you get sometimes. But also consider alternates like the MP730 or refurbished printers and run the numbers.

What will cost less in the long run for a time period of at least three years and do all you need done.

 

[harobikes333]

Ink is expensive>_< my sister in college just recently spent I think 60 dollars on a new printer<--works good

But the ink cartridges cost about $30 once the ones the printer came with!

talk about ironic....and kinda sucky

 

[Lemon law]

To harobikes333,

Printer manufacters make their money on selling refill ink--not printers. Consumers like your sister is what they prey on. For the immediate gratification of a low initial purchase price you get a printer that will eat you out of house and home if you print much. With OEM ink b/w text costs ranging from a low of about three cents per page consumable costs all the way up to thirty cents per page on some real rip off models, the importance of the consumer doing the math is important.

Tell your sister to convert her printer into a flower pot, get something like a Canon ip3000 or ip4000,
and you will be money ahead in as little as 1/2 a semester.

Lets see----say your sister prints 1000 pages a semester. An ip3000 or 4000 will come in at 3 cents per page. Lets say her rip off printer comes in at 20 cents per page. So you get cartridge replacement prices of $200 vs. $30. or a difference of $170. Since I see posts that you can get a Canon ip3000 at Tiger direct for really cheap( $20.) after rebates, be a good brother and get her one for an early birthday gift or something. And some dirt and a flower to go into her old printer. And a new life as a flower pot is the only funtional use I see for those no armed bandits.aka throwaway printers.