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 (4 star rating)
Background
After moving into my new house and setting up my new office area, I discovered that my old Epson C42UX printer was no longer working. I'm not sure if it was damaged in the move, or if it had malfunctioned prior to the move and I just hadn't realized it. I didn't have any way to prove that it was working prior to the move, so I was forced to purchase a new one. Since I don't do a whole lot of printing, and I don't have any real need for an all-in-one printer / scanner / copier / fax unit, I decided to stick with an Epson inkjet model. Based on my positive experience with previous Epson's, and the relatively low cost I was able to find online, I chose the Epson Stylus C88 Inkjet. I have been using it for approximately 3 months now.
Basic information on Inkjet Technology
Part of the purchase decision is deciding what type of printing technology you want in your printer. The two dominant types of printers available in the market today are inkjet and laser. Inkjet is the most common type used today by consumers, as it is ideal for most people who plan to use their printer for photos, text documents and the occasional slideshow / presentation.
Here are some of the basic advantages that make inkjet printers are so popular:
- Inexpensive --- Inkjet printers are almost always less expensive than laser printers.
- Color --- Almost all new inkjets offer the capability to print photos, presentations or other pictures in full color.
- Easy to use --- Almost all new inkjets are easy to setup and easy to use. With a CD-ROM drive and an available parallel or USB port, it should only take a few minutes to be up and running with an inkjet printer.
However, there are some disadvantages associated with inkjet printers:
- Quality --- Inkjet printers are closing the gap in quality, but laser printers still cannot be beat for crisp, crystal-clear text and images.
- Slower than laser --- Laser printers are typically used in office settings by multiple people, so their printing speed is almost always faster than what you will find with inkjet printers.
- Shorter life cycle --- Again, laser printers are typically used by multiple people and therefore need to be more heavy-duty. Laser printers will usually have a longer life cycle to accommodate the thousands of documents they are expected to print.
- Fewer printing options --- Laser printers often offer advanced features that are sometimes not found in inkjet printers. Examples of these features would be duplexing (printing on both sides of the page), additional paper drawers and capability to run in a networked environment.
Basic information on the Epson C88
The C88 is fairly small (18.11" x 17.2" x 12.2" (W x D x H) with paper trays extended) and offers both USB 2.0 and parallel port interfaces. It is rated at a speed of up to 22ppm for black and white printing, and up to 12ppm for color. Maximum resolution, in dots per inch, is rated at 5760 x 1440. It can print on all the various types of paper (Letter, legal, A4, A5, etc.) and can print border-free photos with sizes of 4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 8" x 10". The input paper tray holds approximately 100 sheets of plain paper, and about 20-25 envelopes or thick sheets of photo quality paper. The output paper tray holds approximately 30 sheets of plain paper. The output paper tray can be flipped back up to a closed position when it is not in use. The buttons available on the printer are the On / Off button, the Cancel Print Job button and the Change Ink Cartridges button. It is compatible with both Windows (98, ME, 2000 or XP) and Mac (OS X 10.2 or later). It offers 5 print quality options: draft, text, text and image, photo and best photo. It includes a 1-year limited warranty.
Included in the box
1) C88 Printer with power cord and paper tray
2) 1 Durabrite Black ink cartridge
3) 1 Durabrite Cyan ink cartridge
4) 1 Durabrite Magenta ink cartridge
5) 1 Durabrite Yellow ink cartridge
6) Installation instructions and quick reference guide
7) CD-ROM with printer software
Note that everything you need to get started is included in the box EXCEPT the cable. You will need either a USB cable or a parallel cable to connect the printer to your computer.
Installation
Installation of the C88 was a breeze. In only a few minutes time I had unpacked the printer, installed the software, installed the ink cartridges in the printer, connected the printer to my PC with a USB cable and was ready to print. I did not refer to the included installation instructions since there is no "tricky part" to installing a printer for just one PC. If I was going to try to use the printer as a network printer, then I would suggest reading through the installation instructions.
My Use of the C88 for Printing Text
I have printed a number of text documents using the black ink and have found the results to be excellent. Printing in "text" and "text and picture" modes, the letters were a solid black color without any inconsistencies in the level of blackness. The letters were clearly readable and I did not see any jaggedness in the lettering. Printing in "draft" mode resulted in a lighter black color that appeared almost gray. This will help save ink if you are printing something that does not need to look great, but it certainly makes it more difficult to read.
One disappointment I have experienced is the speed in printing. In my usage, I've found that it only prints about 5 pages per minute. While this is comparable to other inkjet printers, I was hoping that this printer would perform faster.
After about 3 months of use, the software shows that the black cartridge is a little less than half full. This is helpful for knowing when to re-order ink cartridges. From my estimation on the number of pages I've printed, I would say that the black ink is lasting longer than it did with my previous Epson. I have not yet had to replace any of the ink cartridges.
The noise level when printing text is comparable to my old printer, and to other inkjet printers that I have used. Epson rates the noise level at 42 dB, which is typical for consumer inkjet printers. It is by no means quiet, but it is not so loud that it distracts you from continuing to do other work on your computer.
Next: Performance and Conclusion
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