Glad I only paid $108 for it...
Written: Jun 20 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Loves to print text...I got it cheap...includes good software
Cons: slow on graphics, trouble printing straight, loud, doesn't always turn it off when you want it to
|
|
|
| bassist695's Full Review: Canon BJC 7004 InkJet Printer |
I'm a typical college student...poor would describe my financial situation the best. So, one day while I was browsing DealDeal.com for a cheap printer (read my DealDeal Epinion at http://psuist.epinions.com/cmd-review-1529-13CE9B06-38FB4F6C-prod4).
So, I happened upon the Canon BJC-7004 Photo and it was going for about $80 when I started bidding. I won it for $90 and shipping was $18 or so. I guess this printer usually goes for $280 so I was happy that I got an incredible deal on the printer, which was, by the way, new.
The Downside:
Now I don't know if it's my bad luck with computer products or what, but this printer is extremely slow. I was blessed with a roommate last semester who loved to sleep...that's all he ever did when he was in the room, but whenever I had to print something on this, it would have to warm up for about 3 minutes. This is a loud procedure which woke him up plenty of times.
Now, if you're just printing plain text, you'll be fine, it's amazingly quick in that respect. However, if you want to print out any semi-complicated graphic so that it looks fairly decent, you better have some time on your side. This printer is slow, and all that careful labor leads to substandard results that I wish I paid another hundred dollars for.
When I went to install the printer, my computer never recognized it. My computer was brand new, so that was no fault of my computer. So I called tech support which was very good and efficient, and helped me narrow the problem down to a driver problem. I was mailed an out-of-date driver...how nice. So I had to download the new driver which worked like a charm, but a minor unnecessary inconvenience.
Also, this printer is rather large, and takes up a lot of desk-space. On a couple of occasions, it couldn't even print straight since its size was no match for the, shall I say, shakiness that this printer exhibits when it so energetically prints some text.
The Upside:
Like I said, it's a fast printer for text, which is mainly what I use it for. In addition, it comes with a decent amount of complementary Canon Photo software which is a nice amenity, and the driver/maintenance programs are easy to follow.
The ink cartidges are easy to install, not messy or cumbersome at all. I have not had to replace them yet, so they do have longevity on their side, and I am also not aware of how much they cost individually to replace.
Unfortunately, these are the only positives I see...
The LowDown:
I really can't complain, I mean, I got this printer for almost $180 less than its suggested retail, so maybe I got what I paid for. What I worry about is the people who bought it for the retail value and didn't get their money's worth. It really isn't worth $280. I have some printer experience and have historically found HP's to be far more reliable in performance and cost-effective to boot.
If you're like me, find this printer at a bargain. Otherwise steer clear of the 7004 Color.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
bassist695
|
|
Location: Hartford, CT
Reviews written: 83
Trusted by: 25 members
About Me:
Newly graduated and not jobless, yet life could be better!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.