Quality cheap printer for basics

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good quality small printer for cheap, looks good

Cons: No USB cable, uses ink quickly

The Bottom Line: 
I like this printer, especially considering the cost and quality. Not for large volumes, though.

Author's Review
I had an old dinosaur HP printer that was very slow and didn't print that well, so I bought this Canon Pixma ip2600 just to print simple things -- Postal/ebay labels, recipes, letters, etc. It was about $40 at the local electronics store. I have seen it cheaper other places now, but at the time it seemed like a good deal and I like Canon products.

Pros:

1) The quality of prints are good. Ebay labels with barcodes are clear and not smudged or missing. Color is correct on most items. I have not printed pictures with it, but on letters or items with color (like the heading from a recipe online), it looks correct.

2) The speed is good, too. It is rated by canon at 22 ppm for BW and 17 ppm for color. I usually don't print more than a few pages at a time, but this sounds pretty close.

3) The printer is relatively small and folds up nicely. It is also attractive, with a glossy black finish and simple lines. It's easy to clean, too. The black needs dusting fairly often and it's done in a snap.

4) This printer is listed as an Energy Star qualified, so it doesn't use a lot of power.

5) Very easy to hook up and use. Other than the no. 1 con (no usb cable) it was a snap to get started.

Cons:

1) It did not come with a USB cable. I had to go buy one. Not a huge deal, but it seems silly to sell a printer and the buyer can't use the thing when opening the box.

2) printer is a little bit loud. It "clunks" on at first and zips through the pages kind of loud. It's louder than my old HP was. Not a big bother, but it could be quieter.

3) uses ink fairly quickly. It only took me a couple of months to use up all of the BW (which I replaced) and the color is also low, according the message that pops up all the time. The ink price was reasonable. I paid $15 for a black one. I haven't replaced the color one, but I think it's about the same.

4) you cannot get a larger ink cartridge. I went to an ink specialty place and the lady said it was one of the few Canons that you can't upgrade to a longer lasting cartridge. Not something I knew about, but it would have been nice to know.

I would recommend this printer for those who just print a few pages here and there. It is not recommended for those that print out a lot of things. Not because of the speed or quality, but because of the ink you will be buying. There are probably better options for you.