A GOOD PRINTER FOR A GOOD PRICE
Written: Mar 10 '01
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Pros: INEXPENSIVE, PRINTS GOOD PHOTOS
Cons: EATS INK LIKE IT'S GOING OUT OF STYLE
The Bottom Line: This printer does a good job for the price.
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| marinabsmom's Full Review: Lexmark Color JetPrinter Z32 Inkjet Printer |
I inherited my computer from my brother when he upgraded, but he didn't give me a printer. I never thought I needed one until I recently bought a digital camera. After spending most of my money on the camera, I didn't have a lot left over for a printer. Wal-mart to the rescue! (I love that store) There I found a printer that meets all of my needs.
The Lexmark Z32 cost me $80.00, worth it for the ink cartridges alone. The ink cartridges run just under $60.00 at Wal-mart. I had to buy the cable, which set me back another $20.00. But it was well worth it.
I've printed about 6 dozen photos of my newborn daughter, and the print quality is almost like a real photo. There is some banding in the lighter colored areas of the photos, but only if you get REAL close. The quality is much better if you get the Photo cartridge ($40.00). The photo cartridge eliminates any fuzziness or visible pixels that were in your image. The colors are really much sharper than if you just use the color and b/w cartridges.
The software was really easy to install and it left an icon right on my toolbar so I can check settings, ink quantity, etc. really quickly. The software includes warnings when your paper runs out and has an ink level monitor that shows how much of each cartridge remains. The ink monitor will warn you every time you start up if your ink is low, which I thought was really handy. If you don't like the reminder, you can shut it off.
The printer leaves a small footprint on your desk--it's only about 11/2 feet by 1 foot (two feet with the paper tray extended). It is very easy to load paper--just insert the paper into the feed slot. Ink cartridges are a snap to load, too. You just pull off the protective tag, slip it into the carriage, and snap it into place.
What I really don't like about this printer is that it is so slooooowwwww. Lexmark claims 5 ppm for color--it's really like 1 page per 5 minutes, longer if you're printing photos. I also hate how thirsty this printer is. I'm already on my third color cartridge. You can get refill kits for the cartridges online, but doing so will void the warranty for the printer.
All in all, this printer is adequate for my current needs. If I ever have to get another printer, I would probably get the Z32 again (unless the Z52 drops significantly in price).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 80.00
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
marinabsmom
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Location: Lititz,PA, USA
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Brand new mom, love gemstones, crafts, and cool gadgets
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