Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I ditched my HP printer and bought a Canon instead and I couldn't be happier with my choice. I'm giving the HP two stars, not one, because it is in many ways a good machine. It is quiet and the copies look good. I was somewhat happy with it. BUT THESE HP PRINTERS USE INK LIKE CRAZY. They are a ripoff. The Canon system is MUCH better. The cartridges come full and are translucent so you can see the ink in them and watch it run out. They last about 1.5 - 2 months each at my rate of printing (fairly heavy home office usage, as I run a consulting business). The HP cartridges keep getting weaker and weaker. They hardly put any ink in them, so I have to buy them in bulk at Costco and replace them every 3-4 weeks. And you can't see inside them, so HP seems to reduce the ink that each cartridge holds but won't tell you this. Even more amusing -- every time you change a cartridge, the printer goes through an elaborate routine of printing "test pages," using up YET MORE INK. You cannot stop these test pages or they print again as soon as you turn the machine back on. What we *do* know is that HP is charging more for their ink per ounce than you would pay for gasoline, Dom Perignon champagne, or virtually any other fluid on earth. This is their business decision to make. Every company seems to want a subscription model now and I guess HP has decided to sell cheap printers and then make a living off of high-margin ink. But I will pay off the cost of my new Canon in less than a year just by buying less ink. After that it is all profit to me. And the Canon PIXMA is better for the environment and for my sanity. Plus it works great and the copies and photos look just as good as the HP. Ben