I have recently been looking to replace my aging HP 822Cse printer. It still works, aside from the problems it has feeding that require cleaning the rollers far more than should really be necessary. The fax machine also died a couple weeks ago, so it seemed like an all-in-one unit would be a really good idea. I liked the looks of the HP 6210, but before buying a printer I've learned also to look at ink costs. So I checked out the ink display.
I found the cartridge the 6210 needs, and I was thrilled it was only $20! But when I picked it up, I thought it felt really light. So I reached for a 45 cartridge (for my old printer) and sure enough, it weighed noticably more. Upon further inspection, the 45 holds 42 ml of ink. The 94 used by the 6210 holds 11 ml of ink. So, you pay 33% less but get only 25% as much ink. In other words, the 45 cartridge is something like a 300% better value. Looking at other HP printers, almost all of the all-in-ones took small-capacity cartridges.
I decided it was time to jump the HP ship. I ended up finding the Brother 420CN, which is similar to the HP unit, but includes an ethernet port for connecting directly to a network. The ink cartridges are also a much better deal, about $18 for 500 page yield (vs $20 for the HP 6210 for 233 page yield).
If you're going to get ripped off on ink, at least do it wisely, and get only mildly ripped off instead of beat-over-the-head-with-a-bat ripped off. It only makes sense!
I only have a B&W laser printer right now. Laser is the only way to go :P
But, back in the day when I did have a color printer, those ink-refill kits were the way to go - they work, and you really do save money. I don't know how they work on modern cartridges, but a few years ago it required drilling a small hole in the top of the cartridge, and then filling it using a syringe, then taping the hole to prevent leakage.
I belive the printer business is much like the gaming console business. Sell the console cheap; lose money. Sell games at high price; make profit.
I agree on the HP ink ripoff. They should display the ink quantity (in ml) more prominently. HP has a right to make a profit, but I question their approach. Buyer beware.
Having said that, I hear that HP sells their printers at vanishingly narrow margins, expecting to make the real profit on expendables. If inexpensive ink refills or refilled cartriges from 3rd parties become too common, you can count on a new cartrige design from HP.
Nevertheless, I am staying with HP for now. I am forever hooked on the horizontal paper storage and feed. Paper that is stored flat has many advantages over vertically stored paper, which curls like a potato chip. Most HP printers will tuck neatly under a 6"-8" shelf at the rear of your desk. The only downside to horizontal paper feed is the "indirect paper path", which is roundly jumped on by critics as being more prone to misfeeds. In theory, this is correct. In reality, it's a bunch of sheep dip. I see a lot more misfeeds from curled paper on vertical feed printers than I do from HP printers.
I wouldn't go blind looking for a more straightforward ink deal from HP's competition either. They are also profit driven, of course.
Companies other than HP make tray/flat-loading paper mechanisms. My new brother has a flat paper loader.
Also, my mom has an older Lexmark that loads vertically, and it actually encloses the paper input so it doesn't curl, and manages to feed straight pretty much all of the time. I'm not a huge fan of top-loaders either, but there are some that can do a good job.
Yea, a good paper guide helps. But there's still the printer being too tall and limiting where you can put it on your desk. On my desk, it's either in a 6" slot under a shelf, or way up on a top shelf. Yea, sounds like the tail wagging the dog, but hey, the desk cost 5X more than a printer. :)
I'm by no means an HP (or any other) fan. I wish Epson or Canon offered a horizontal paper tray. They print just great, and I would like to try one out.
I know buying HP ink is a "caveat emptor" situation. I haven't studied the other brands. I hope they are more up front with their ink marketing.
You save yourself a huge headache by not buying the HP 6210. The installation software is not compatible with Windows, the installation CD did not start automatically, and I got 5 or 6 different error messages that required numerous searches for fixes online and w/techs who referred me to URL's that I could not open, but they could. Hours of wasted time, and my computer knows it's there but still can't talk to it. Fortunately, I did not get rid of my Canon Multipass, so I'll keep using it instead.