Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I can't fully take credit for the title of this review. Upon browsing through other reviews (prior to receiving my own unit), I saw another customer describe the Epson ET-4500 as a "$400 machine with $100 features." I took the liberty of putting my own spin into that opinion. Truth be, this really is a low-end ink-jet printer with expensive features tacked on. Don't look at that opinion as a total slam against the ET-4500. You really are getting a rather excellent all-in-one printer that offers copy print, scan, copy and fax functionality. While many other printer companies offer similar products for hundreds less, the ET-4500 offers enough ink in the box to outlast the competition. Epson claims there is 20 cartridges worth of ink included. I would estimate that Epson is on the money here. I really had to take a step backwards when I tested this printer over the course of a weekend. I am a small business owner who has used laser printers for my needs. So, it was very odd for me to see this printer where, instead of installing cartridges, I was filling reservoirs with different colored bottles of ink. So, the first thing I need to point out is that there is a more elaborate setup process to this printer than one would normally expect. However, using the enclosed quick-start guide, it pretty much becomes a no-brainer from start to finish. However, I wasn't prepared to don a pair of rubber gloves as I unscrewed bottles of ink and poured them into individual tanks. Now I warn you -- and please heed this advice --- you MUST wear gloves when handling the ink. It *looks* as if you can easily pour the bottles into the tank without a single drip. However, it's more involved than that. You have to first unscrew the cap, remove the protective foil, screw the cap back on, remove the cap tip, and then "squirt" ink into the tanks. In doing that, it is guaranteed that you will get ink on your hands. Also, be certain to put a newspaper underneath the printer to catch any protective foil or dripping ink. After the ink reservoirs are filled, you will be walked through a setup that includes a 20-minute wait as the ink does an initial circulation through the machine. Though the Epson ET-4500 comes with a software disc to walk you through internet connectivity, I was easily able to set most everything up using the 2.2" mono screen which resides on printer's front panel. I simply went into setup -> network settings -> WiFi Setup and had the printer scan for my wireless network. I entered my password and...voila!...the printer connected easily. There is even a little WiFi icon that remains ever present on the home screen letting you know its connected. At that point, any person using a device connected to your home network has access to that printer. That's good for me, as I set this up as a centralized household printer where anyone in my family, including guests, can print from their phone/tablet/computer. All of Epson's features worked flawlessly. I was able to perform a document scan, make a copy of a newspaper article, and fax an article to my fax machine. Of course, I tested all sorts of basic printing options from Internet websites as well as documents I had stored on my computer. So, here is the rub... Although the Epson flawlessly executes all of its functions, it does it exceedingly slow. I am used to a laser printer spitting out a printed copy within seconds of firing up. This Epson reminds me of my very first ink-jet printer well over a decade ago. It prints as if it's actually drawing each character as the paper goes from feeder to output tray. You sit and watch for what seems like a good half minute as your document gets printed. It's not the kind of speed someone doing business work would want to see. The same kind of "chug-along" speed is experienced when scanning and copying. It's just not speedy enough for my preferences. Additionally, I was somewhat disappointed with its print quality. For basic document prints, the results were pretty damn good. Though not quite laser quality, I was pretty happy with how professional printed documents looked. Where I really was disappointed was when I printed a webpage or photo filled with lots of colors and background images. The paper actually came out wet. As I picked up the document, ink smeared on my fingers. Yeah, this is ink-jet alright. I suppose if I had just let the paper dry before handling, it would have been okay. Lesson learned. However, the reality of the situation is this... To get into a business all-in-one that gives you the professional quality speed and printing quality someone like me desires, I would have to pay at least twice this price. Epson has introduced the WF-R4640 alongside this model. I am being sent one to review. It supposedly offers faster speeds and print quality that rivals (or exceeds) laser printers. I will be putting that model through its paces over the next few weeks and I invite you to reference that model on Amazon to read my review when it posts. I will attempt to revisit this review and post a direct link here. All that being said... I have to put myself in the mindset that the Epson ET-4500 is a budget printer with lots of bells and whistles intended for family use. Put in that perspective, this printer performs admirably. I mean, you get all the functions that an office printer would offer. It performs all these functions beautifully. For general family or personal use, most people won't mind that it performs all these functions more slowly than professional models. The Epson ET-4500 is well built. It looks rather handsome sitting in our living room where it can be accessed by everyone. Best of all, it contains enough ink that I don't have to worry about having to replace anything despite the heavy usage that it will receive. Remember, you are making an investment in a printer that comes with an abundance of ink -- much more than any other printer being offered -- and the option of cheaper refills once it runs out. This is the reason why it costs more than competing all-in-one printers. My final recommendation is that the Epson ET-4500 should not be a consideration for business owners or anyone looking for professional laser quality speed or printing results. Please wait for my review of the WF-R4640 in the next few weeks. For those who want a cheaper all-in-one that is well-built and sacrifices speed for great bells-and-whistles, should consider the ET-4500. It's perfect for home use, by everyone in the family, who can take advantage of being able to print wirelessly from their favorite device. Please Note: I received the following printer from the manufacturer in exchange for my impartial review.