Can this Printer
Written: Oct 12 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: Poor performance, doesn't recognize Mac OS 9.04
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| Chriss1977's Full Review: Epson Stylus Photo 700 InkJet Printer |
In the world of technology, my husband and I have a mixed marriage. To put it another way, he uses a PC, and I use a Mac (That situation might not last. See my review called "To Mac, or Not to Mac.")
In spite of these fundamental differences, we thought we had enough in common to give our relationship a try. We decided to form a network. Things hummed along nicely for a while--Michiel's a system administrator and did all the complicated stuff involving IP masquerade and setting up a Linux server. I did my bit by drinking coffee and occasionally asking how it was going. Finally it was finished, and we were ready to roll.
The Quest Begins
When we realized that yes, we really did need a printer, we did what all good consumers should do. We read reviews, studied websites, and asked all our friends. It's a rare inkjet that will accept print orders from both Macs and PCs, and I was beginning to believe we'd never be able to resolve our conflicts.
Finally, a tech friend of mine told me about the Epson Stylus Photo 700. According to company literature, the ESP700 was designed to fulfill the special needs of a mixed platform couple like us. Whether we used a Mac or a PC, the Epson was touted as the perfect printer for a home network. At a list price of about $200, it was certainly the perfect printer for us. We were relieved to know our network was safe.
Equal Performance for both platforms (Too bad it was such bad performance.)
Only half of Epson's claims turned out to be true. Yes, we experienced consistent performance, whatever platform we used. But perfect? In a short time, the Epson proved to have some major flaws, and the crisp, clear quality they promised us in all the brochures was never there.
The Epson is a Cruel Mistress
At first, the letters and resumes we printed were acceptable; a bit fuzzy, perhaps, but hey, what do you expect for $200? Any color photos we printed were nice - but just that. "Nice." Certainly nothing to hang on the wall and give out to all our friends. Little did we know that our little Epson was just in its honeymoon phase. As soon as the warranty was up, things started to change.
Frustration! one year later, no matter who hit "Print," the printer stylus would skate straight across the cartridge track (printing nothing, of course) trumpeting its journey with a loud SKKEEEEEEEEJJJJTTTTT as it went. Then it would try a return trip, only to jam under the printer cover, buzzing angrily until we hastily opened the cover or shut off the machine. Regardless of how carefully we installed and re-installed the (expensive) inkjet cartridges, this skating was the order of the day.
Michiel and I were determined to make this work. We knew it would take patience and effort from both of us, but we thought the network was worth it. Unfortunately, the Epson was out to sabotage our beautiful union.
Compromise and Denial
The Epson had a way of lulling us into a false sense of security. Sometimes we could get things to print just like in the old days. "It's not that bad," we told ourselves. But mostly we were kidding ourselves. At one point, only the Mac could print. Other times, it was the PC. During the times it wouldn't print at all, we e-mailed documents to our work address and printed them out there. These were pathetic efforts to hide from the truth. --->This is one crappy printer.
Nobody Insults my Mac!
Finally I did the unthinkable. I upgraded my Mac to 9.04, and the Epson Stylus Photo 700 rejected me. I downloaded the upgrade from the Epson website, sent countless e-mails to their support people (they have stopped writing back) and that *%$/) printer will *not* make itself available to my Chooser. Grrrrrr.
It's Over
That's it, Epson. I may be poor, and I may be cheap, but nobody ignores my Mac. Pack your bags, because you'll be out on the street just as soon as I find a replacement.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Chriss1977
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Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 53 members
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