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| Inkjet Alternatives |
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Hardware June 2001 • Vol.9 Issue 6 Page(s) 12-15 in print issue |
Inkjet Alternatives Today’s Printers Offer A Plethora Of Possibilities | ||
 Shopping for an inkjet printer is a little bit like picking out a puppy. You know that if you choose a royal pedigree such as Hewlett-Packard, Epson, or Lexmark, you'll probably end up with an excellent product. But just as every litter has a runt, even inkjets from reliable manufacturers may not always be able to match certain abilities of the competition. Selecting the printer that's right for your home or office depends on your needs. Few reasonably priced inkjets sport stellar performance in every aspect of printing. Some handily dispense high-quality text documents but aren't necessarily suited for color photo output. And a mixture of text and color graphics might require a different printer altogether. In any case, the following printers are definitely a mixed litter, but we'll help you collar the right printer for you.  How We Tested. We used a 667MHz Pentium III IBM PC with 192MB of RAM running Windows 98SE to test all five of the printers in this article. Keep in mind that this is not a head-to-head review in which we compare similar printers designed for the same type of user but rather a broad perspective of the many possibilities available to the finicky inkjet printer buyer. As a result, you'll see a wide disparity between most of the models in text and graphics pages per minute. You'll also note that in the "By The Numbers" chart, ink prices vary widely. This is because some manufacturers use ink cartridges that combine three colors in one large tank, as opposed to putting one color each into a smaller receptacle; thus, tricolor cartridges are much more costly. We used three tests to evaluate these printers. A 10-page text file printed in draft mode gave us a feel for each printer's speed. The six-page mixture of text and graphics indicated the units' versatility, and the high-resolution photos rigorously tested every machine's imaging capabilities.
Photo printers are the sweetest of all inkjets; they make eye candy. The best ones, using photo-quality paper, can produce spectacular prints rivaling results from a film developing shop. Finding a high-performance photo printer isn't necessarily an easy chore, especially if you're on a budget, but the Epson Stylus Photo 1280 ($499; 800/463-7766, 562/981-3840; http://www.epson.com) is a photo printer worth the price. This inkjet isn't the most well-rounded printer on the market, nor does it aspire to be. It's a fine-tuned tool for people who require a printer with powerful photographic capabilities. To that end, the 1280 is a rock-solid piece of hardware. Like an earlier Epson version, the 1270, the 1280 is a large printer, measuring a squat 6.9 inches high x 23.6 inches wide x 12.2 inches deep and weighing 18.5 pounds. You can connect the printer to your PC via a parallel or USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. Unfortunately, Epson didn't include network capabilities in this model, but this is a forgivable flaw, considering you won't be using it in a large office setting. Epson did include Photoshop LE, along with trial versions of Epson Software Film Factory and Qbeo Photo Genetics 2.8, in the package. The printer's documentation, should you need assistance, is very complete. You might not need the help, though, because our installation went off without a hitch. After the 1280 is up and running, you can print a maximum area of 13 inches wide x 44 inches long, with the highest resolution being 2,880 x 720. You can drop the resolution all the way down to 180 x 180 to conserve ink while printing text, but our results show you probably won't want to use this printer for such a task. Text results were spotty, at best. The 1280 spit out the first page of a 10-page text file in 0:19 and finished in 2:33. Though the manufacturer's specifications rate the printer at 9ppm (pages per minute), our tests showed a more lackluster 4ppm. Output at 180dpi (dots per inch) is predictably dotted, but we wouldn't have expected better at this setting. We also tested a six-page Word file that combined text and graphics. The first page was out in 0:51, and the file completed printing in just under four minutes. Fonts were consistently dark but lacked sharpness. Graphic color was excellent, but there was some evident banding and gritty texture. Our PowerPoint slides displayed the same degree of quality. Of a three-page document, the first slide finished in 0:33, and the third slide came out in 1:26. These results don't impress, but Epson didn't design the 1280 for text. Its real purpose, of course, is to wow you with color photos. And for us, it did just that. The highest resolution for a plain-paper graphic is 1,440. The unit prints bidirectionally at this resolution, and thus, with good speed. Results on plain paper were outstanding, with accurate color and good detail. The most important tests were the two high-resolution JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) images we printed at the printer's maximum resolution of 2,880; we had to bump the setting up manually because the default resolution is 720. It took some time to print, 25:36 to be exact, but that's due to the size of the photo and the resolution settings we applied. Plus, bidirectional printing is not supported at the highest resolution. The results were worth the wait. The 1280 generated the most stunning photos we've seen from an inkjet so far. The printer reproduced colors in a flower photo perfectly, and so vibrantly that the blossoms seemed to jump off the page. Don't even consider using the 1280 consistently for text documents. A black ink cartridge, which costs $23, yields only about 370 pages, or 6.2 cents per page. Color ink is reasonable; for $30 you'll print about 330 pages, or 9.1 cents per page. Serious photo addicts only need apply for the Epson 1280, a pricey printer, but worth every penny.
A more well-rounded addition to the inkjet market is the Sharp AJ-2000 ($179; 800/237-4277, 201/529-8200; http://www.sharp-usa.com). The AJ-2000 is a step up from the AJ-1800, and it features the technology found in Xerox DocuPrints M750 and M760. Though the print engines are alike, our tests showed the Sharp version performing slightly better. The AJ-2000 measures 10.8 inches high x 18.9 inches wide x 15.6 inches deep and weighs 14.3 pounds. You can connect the printer with either a parallel or USB port. Sharp includes a copy of the photo-editing application MGI PhotoSuite II SE in the package, but it didn't send a printed manual, which disappointed us. Instead, the users manuals are all on the included CD. Also disappointing is the fact that, when installing the printer software, we had to manually locate the setup file, a potential turnoff for people who desire simplicity. A midrange resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 suits this printer well, letting it spit out text documents at about 6.5ppm. This isn't blazingly fast, but it keeps the AJ-2000 neck-and-neck with other products in this price range. Font quality wasn't perfect, with some fuzziness evident, but it was still very dark and readable. Not surprisingly, the AJ-2000 produced draft mode times similar to the Xerox machines at 6.5ppm for a 10-page text file. The PowerPoint rating was also the same; all three slides were done in exactly a minute, a speed rating of 3ppm. The first page of the six-page mix of text and graphics was done in 1:09, and the sixth page completed in 3:11, or 1.9ppm. Our tests showed fonts were a little rough around the edges but still unfailingly dark. Graphics didn't slow the AJ-2000 much, and colors were right on. Some barely noticeable banding and grain showed up, but we had to squint to see it. The high-resolution JPEG file we printed on photo paper was done in 4:37. This a good time, but there was minor banding. Some coarseness was also present, but we feel the quality was adequate for a printer of this cost. One increasingly important feature in inkjets is separate ink cartridges for every color. This is a major contrast to the 1280, which uses a combined ink cartridge, so if you use up just one color, you still have to replace the entire cartridge; not the most cost effective way to print. The story is different with the AJ-2000, which uses four individual cartridges. The AJ-2000 has an Advanced Ink Management mode, which goes by the moniker of InkLogic at Xerox. Black ink cartridges will yield approximately 700 pages; color tanks should provide about 350 pages before they run dry. On regular paper, the AJ-2000 isn't going to provide you with the cleanest-looking text. And the larger the font, the more obvious the blurred edges become. If you need professional-looking fonts, you'll want to look elsewhere, but text quality should be suitable for student papers and home use. Finally, the AJ-2000 is no beauty queen, with a rather awkward appearance, worsened by the baby-blue cover matched to the typical traditional beige used for main components. Looks aside, this is a solid midpriced printer.
The next photo printer is HP's Photosmart P1000 ($299; 800/613-2222; http://www.hp.com), which HP advertises as offering its best print quality. Coming from one of the most reliable printer manufacturers, this is a hefty statement. Combine that with HP's promise that you can use the printer with or without a PC to let you print directly from a digital camera (using a SmartMedia or Compact Flash Card), and our interest was piqued. The 1000 is a heftier machine, weighing 14.3 pounds. That load is compact, though, measuring 7.72 inches high x 17.32 inches wide x 14.56 inches deep. The paper tray is average-sized, with a 100-sheet capacity. Its standalone capability doesn't mean you can't connect the unit to your PC; you can, using either a parallel or USB cable, and we liked the fact that HP includes a free USB cable with the printer. You also receive three software packages: HP Photo Printing application, HP Photo Website, and Adobe Acrobat Reader. HP also provides comprehensive documentation. The P1000 prints black text at a top resolution of 600dpi and color graphics at 2,400 x 1,200. We printed our 10-page text file in draft mode to see what level of text this photo printer would create. The first page completed in 0:16, the 10th in 1:36. At 6.25ppm, this printer has extremely respectable speed. The fonts we produced looked nice and sharp, until we inspected them more closely and saw some rough edges and a disconcerting "shadow" effect. Large fonts that should have been solid black showed flecks of white; overall though, it was above average text for a draft mode. As anticipated, the six-page Word file was slower, at 1.31ppm, with the first page done in 1:30. This is still a good speed, and graphics colors were perfectly duplicated. Unfortunately, there was an unacceptable level of banding; ripples gave the pictures a wavy appearance. Three PowerPoint slides printed at the same speed as the Word document. Text was clear and sharply outlined, but black fonts should have been richer. Banding again reared its ugly head on our bar graphs. These results though, weren't as crucial to us as the photo-print test. We printed two images, on both plain and photo-quality paper. The P1000's plain-paper speed was very good, finishing in only 3:42. Using top-notch HP photo paper, the unit needed about 11 minutes to complete the file. The P1000 rendered the print on regular paper in spectacular color. We could see just a smidgen of grain, but the quality was as good, if not better, than the 1280. Details and color were fantastic on photo paper. The 1000's lower resolution can't match the 1280's masterpieces, but HP squeezed everything they could out of the 2,400dpi that came on this Photosmart model. This HP should be pleasing for anyone who takes digital photography seriously. If you want a photo printer with solid graphics performance, the P1000 is a good choice, especially if you need a machine that can do some quick text work on the side.
Compaq is a well-known PC producer, but they do make a number of printers, too. We gave the IJ1200 ($129; 800/888-0220, 281/370-0670; http://www.compaq.com) a thorough workout to determine if this inkjet was as good as the company's PCs. Our results showed this inkjet to be a mixed breed; it doesn't sport great performance in any category but would work well as a low-priced text speed demon. The IJ1200 is a sharp, compact printer. The grayish case has smooth contours interrupted by jagged edges, which should appeal to the style-conscious. It measures 9.7 inches high x 17.5 inches wide x 7.5 inches deep and weighs a light 8.8 pounds. The IJ1200 comes with a 100-sheet paper tray, and you can connect it to your PC with a parallel or USB port. Those who buy the printer can select two bonus software packages from Corel and MGI. Setup for this inkjet was fabulous; the ink cartridges came preinstalled, and the driver installation didn't present any problems. On the flip side, the documentation we saw was downright horrendous. Our hardware tester had to obtain most of the information he needed from Compaq's Web site. We also would've liked to see some replacement ink cartridges included with the unit. The IJ1200 prints resolutions as coarse as 300dpi and as fine as 2,400dpi. We put the lowest-resolution mode to work right away on a 10-page text file. The first page completed in 0:13, and the 10th page slid out in 1:54. This is a rating of 8.8ppm; a pace that leaves some of the best inkjets we've tested in the dust and panting for breath. This is an impressive feat indeed for a printer in this price range. If the text quality had been better, we'd have been amazed by the IJ1200. Draft-mode fonts were dark, but they had some fuzziness. Large fonts exhibited some blotchiness. Smaller fonts were consistently inconsistent; some letters looked great, others were smeared and droopy-looking. Our other tests slowed the IJ1200 down significantly. The text/graphic file first page was out in 1:48 and finished the race at a sluggish 5:42, or only 1.02ppm. Fonts were much sharper than in the first test, but black areas weren't evenly dark. We expected more from colors as well, because Compaq touts its Image Color Matching technology as a better way to accurately print the colors you see on your PC's monitor. Instead, colors were slightly skewed, and we noticed some banding. The first of three PowerPoint slides printed in 0:37, and all three printed in 1:53, about 1.6ppm. Again, text was very, but not perfectly, sharp. Black images weren't as dark as we prefer. Finally, we printed two JPEG photo files. On plain paper, it took 14:28 to finish the first file. Colors were a little washed-out, and it was on flesh- colored spots that a pebbly texture was most apparent. Our photo paper results were better; tones were much richer than before, and we couldn't spot grain as easily. Our verdict for the IJ1200 is mixed. College students who want to crank out text in a hurry will be extremely pleased, but the lower quality fonts will scare off people who require professional-looking presentations, and the same goes for people who want great graphics. Still, the IJ1200 is easy to use, and its compact size makes it great for a crowded dorm room.
HP's newest addition to its expansive DeskJet line is the 960Cxi ($299; 800/613-2222; http://www.hp.com), and this model looks to solidify the brand's already firm reputation. The 960Cxi should fit well in your home's computer room; it measures 7.72 inches high x 17.32 inches wide x 14.76 inches deep, and weighs 12.9 pounds. This is one snazzy- looking printer; the curvy gray case is adorned with a bluish-clear cover and dark gray trim. Its setup was beautiful too. We didn't encounter any problems, and if we had, we were armed with HP's thorough manuals and diagrams. After loading up the 150-sheet paper tray, we pitted the 960Cxi's draft mode against 10 pages of text. Only 0:12 after we clicked Print, the first page was done, and in 1:14, the 10th page was done. This means the 960Cxi prints at about 8.1ppm, a speed that shames most of the competition. Our six-page Word file produced a rating of 1.9ppm. The first-page-out time was 0:58, and the entire document finished at 3:13. The three PowerPoint slides were swiftly completed in exactly 1:29. The biggest concern we had after seeing such impressive speed was quality. However, fonts turned out to be just as striking; from a tiny size 5 all the way up to size 72, the 960Cxi produced nearly flawless, pitch-black text. Edges are razor-sharp, with the only fuzziness evident as minuscule intermittent burrs on the sides of the largest letters. Draft text wasn't as perfect but still very readable. We found some words with lines through them, and these were the characters marked by some blurriness as well. Words not marred by such lines were very easy to read. The text/graphics file featured dark, slightly fuzzy text, and we were happy to see that the line we saw in draft mode didn't reappear. Flesh tones in the color graphics were painted in the correct hue. Minor banding was obvious but not distractingly so. Our PowerPoint slides were richly colored, but we had some complaints. First, fonts and black images weren't as dark as we'd like to see. Second, on the color bar graphs, ink dots were clearly visible. We would have preferred smoother, more even coloring. The photographs we printed with the 960Cxi were executed with style: We could see vivid colors with minimal graininess. We noticed some nearly undetectable bands on a dark shade of red when using plain paper, but we couldn't find them anywhere else. Photo paper results were magnificent; grain was virtually nonexistent. Our flower photo was striking in clarity, but the overall tone was darker than normal. A photo of a woman's face, on the other hand, was a tad too light. This was a disappointing result because the 960Cxi in every other aspect rivals more expensive and specialized photo printers. If you print a lot of professional PowerPoint-type documents, you'll want to pass on the 960Cxi. But for $299, this is a fantastic buy, especially if you'll frequently need photo- quality images and excellent high-quality text. Pick The Printer For You. We've demonstrated that different inkjet printers are intended to accommodate specific needs. If you require a photo-grade printer, your best option is the Epson 1280, but for the budget-conscious, the P1000 will work well. If you want to print more text than graphics, the IJ1200 and AJ-2000 are both suitable for your purposes. Still, the 960Cxi produces a great balance of text and graphics that is hard to find in the inkjet realm, especially at such a reasonable price. Whatever your applications require, you're sure to find an inkjet to fit the bill. Be sure to do your homework before you buy, and if possible, try out the models you're considering at a local store before you take one home.  by Nathan Chandler View the "By The Numbers" chart.
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