NOT BAD FOR A START
Written: Apr 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Affordability, easy to install and use, no problems so far
Cons: Print quality of graphics not the brightest
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| coolest-thng's Full Review: Canon BJC 2000 InkJet Printer |
Okay, I'm not the most computer hardware literate person on the planet--I'm not even in the top couple of billion (what a surprise). So before flinging my plastic money around, I did some research on different printers and their qualities and capabilities, mostly right here on Epinions.
It was also recommended to me personally not to spend "gazwads" of cash on any printer for a variety of reasons:
1. The computer world is constantly changing and upgrading. What you purchase today may be outdated tomorrow. Satellite accessories such as printers and scanners don't seem to change as quickly as computers themselves, but as something to learn the ropes with, low-end is fine.
2. Low-end printers will give you reasonable quality of simple printing, such as letters, documents, etc. The kind of high quality printing I may want for my artwork is best done by a professional with the equipment and resources to produce the best quality printing for things like art prints, brochures, etc. unless I plan to go into publishing in a big way, which I can't until I learn a bit more.
3. I don't have "gazwads" of cash.
I finally decided on the Canon BJC 2000 for several reasons:
1. Compatibility with my highly outdated computer system.
2. The ink tanks may be replaced individually (color or black) depending on what has run out without having to replace the entire print head each time.
3. I don't have "gazwads" of cash.
I shopped around a bit both online and in brick and mortar stores. I found this item to be an average price of $99.00. I decided to purchase online at OfficeMax, as I could access their site through one of my point-earning sites, thereby earning points-per-dollar spent; I could then stop by my local OfficeMax and get a rebate form to send in for the $30.00 MaxRebate offered at the time (I could have printed it out from the website, but how can you print off a website without a printer?) so my total cost after rebate was $69.99 plus tax and a stamp. I had some problems with OfficeMax, which are not relative to this review, and have yet to receive my rebate check though.
I was pleased to find additional software included with my new printer. An American Greetings CD was included which contains Creatacard--software designed to make personalized greeting cards; Crayola Print Factory--project and printing software geared toward children; ColorStore--desktop publishing software with graphics, fonts and designs for letters, banners, stickers and a multitude of other applications; and SnapShot--a photographic software application for use with a scanner to create albums, store photos and generally play around with pictures.
The printer set-up was quick and easy; Installation of the printer driver and CD software was effortless for one as ignorant as me, and I would recommend it for any novice for this reason alone.
Actual printer performance is the typical buyer's caveat: You get what you pay for. Quality is great on letters and documents. The graphics available, while very nice, don't print out quite as brightly or sharply as one would hope, but what did you expect from a printer of this price?
Print speed is just about what Canon claims--5 pages per minute in black, 2 pages per minute in color, depending of course, on the amount of colors being used, and how complicated the print job is. I haven't experienced any smearing whatsoever, or paper jamming for that matter. The specs claim use on fabric sheets and high gloss film, among others, but I have yet to try some of the other fancier applications. I am assuming that proper use of the printer for these applications will run smoothly; if not, Canon has a toll-free 24 hour help line. Also included in the package was a real booklet, that can be referred to for troubleshooting, cleaning, and changing ink tanks/printheads.
I've had my printer for only two months, and have had to change the black ink tank twice and the color ink tank once. I'm figuring that's a little more than normal, as our first uses of the applications resulted in a lot of mis-printed (our fault) pages. But the cost of a black ink tank is less than $10.00, the color is less than $25.00, while the cost of the entire print head (which does need to be replaced after about 4 tank changes, according to the instructions) runs $35.00 and up.
In this two month period, I have had zero problems with this printer, and have certainly never had to call Canon for help. I've used and been quite pleased (remember I'm a beginner) with the software applications. Someday I may be ready to move up to a higher quality printer, or one with an all-in-one option, but for now the Canon BJC 2000 is doing us quite well. I'd be comfortable recommending this printer to any beginner, or even anyone else who doesn't have "gazwads" of money up the "wazoo".
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
coolest-thng
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Location: da WB
Reviews written: 92
Trusted by: 72 members
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