Canon i950 vs. i960 photo printer

[Monica]

Hello,

I just bought my first digital camera (Canon PowerShot A70). Now I'm ready
to buy my first photo printer. I like the Canon i950 and have read great
things about it, but then I found some articles about a new printer coming
out in October called Canon i960. It looks like it's the same printer as the
i950, except it has a high-speed USB and is able to print directly from a
digital camera, whereas the i950 could not. The puzzling thing is that the
i960 is going to be much cheaper than the i950. Why would that be?!? The
i960 is about $199 and the i950 is about $249.

So on the surface, the i960 sure seems like the best of all worlds. But that
doesn't seem right to me. Is there a drawback to this new i960 that I'm not
aware of?! help!!

Monica

 

[Bill]

So on the surface, the i960 sure seems like the best of all worlds. But that
doesn't seem right to me. Is there a drawback to this new i960 that I'm not
aware of?! help!!

Not that I'm aware of.

The price drop is likely due to reduced manufacturing costs since most
of the components are the same as the previous model.

 

[Steve Dell]

Might be nice to be able to print directly from the card to the printer.

However, once you get used to using a digital camera, you will take many
more pictures than you typically did with film. Not all will be keeps.
(That's the nice thing about using "recycled electrons" and not film <g>.)
If you are only going to be printing 4 by 6 snapshots, that might be fine.
However, you will eventually want to do some editing with one of the fine
photo-touch up products out there. Once the photos are off the camera card
and into your computer, you'll be amazed with what you can and will want to
do.

I guess what I'm saying is that these transfer features are nice in
principal but don't really mean that much for performance.

Just my $0.02.

Steve

 

[buck]

Might be nice to be able to print directly from the card to the printer.

However, once you get used to using a digital camera, you will take many
more pictures than you typically did with film. Not all will be keeps.
(That's the nice thing about using "recycled electrons" and not film <g>.)
If you are only going to be printing 4 by 6 snapshots, that might be fine.
However, you will eventually want to do some editing with one of the fine
photo-touch up products out there. Once the photos are off the camera card
and into your computer, you'll be amazed with what you can and will want to
do.

I guess what I'm saying is that these transfer features are nice in
principal but don't really mean that much for performance.

Just my $0.02.

Steve

I have (and LOVE) the i950.. I have been told the 960 isnt as fast but
I have yet to see one in person.

( the "not as fast" remark came from a relative who doesnt live near
enough to make a trip to his house to time it worthwhile)


Larry Lynch
Mystic, CT

 

[John D.]

I have an i550 and was going to buy an i950, but it's disapprearing
fast off of store shelves (Best Buy, Staples, BJ's, Sam's). My local
Staples only has a floor model left.

Two questions;
1. Is the i950 discontinued?
2. How much faster will the i960 be with USB 2.0?

I just installed a USB 2.0/Firewire combo card on my PC, so maybe my
delay in getting the i950 will be blessing.

Comments?

Thanks,
john

 

[Bill]

Two questions;
1. Is the i950 discontinued?

More or less...the i960 will replace it.

2. How much faster will the i960 be with USB 2.0?

It won't be any faster. Printers are much slower than any connection
format.

USB is being added mainly for compatibility.

 

[buck]

More or less...the i960 will replace it.


It won't be any faster. Printers are much slower than any connection
format.

USB is being added mainly for compatibility.

If someone were to tell me the i960 is faster than the i950 I would take
it with a grain orf salt.

The i950 is VERY FAST and the print engine is the same.

The difference is similar to the difference between the HP Photosmart
7350 and the 7550. More gadgets on the 7550, same printr engine.

Larry Lynch
Mydtic, Ct

 

[puss]

If someone were to tell me the i960 is faster than the i950 I would take
it with a grain orf salt.

The i950 is VERY FAST and the print engine is the same.

The difference is similar to the difference between the HP Photosmart
7350 and the 7550. More gadgets on the 7550, same printr engine.

Larry Lynch
Mydtic, Ct

Is this true after 5 ink cartridge replacements you have to replace the print
head..?

 

[puss]

So any facts on the print head life...


Thanks

 

[buck]

Is this true after 5 ink cartridge replacements you have to replace the print
head..?

Never heard that one, and Im WELL past five sets of ink tanks on the
i950.

You do hear some wierd shit on the web.

Canon says the print-head will last the life of the printer, but they
dont say what the life expectancy is.

 

[Bob Headrick]

The Photosmart 7350 and 7550 doe not use the same print engine. The 7550 holds
three print cartridges at once, the 7350 holds two. There are very very few
parts in common between these printers.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

 

[buck]

The Photosmart 7350 and 7550 doe not use the same print engine. The 7550 holds
three print cartridges at once, the 7350 holds two. There are very very few
parts in common between these printers.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, not speaking for my employer HP

OOOOPs! bad example!!! I only had the 7550 for a couple of
days...Creeping senility is getting me I guess.

 

[puss]

So any facts on the print head life...


Thanks

 

[Bill]

So any facts on the print head life...

It's expected to last the life of the printer, which is great. Except
that Canon doesn't give any hard numbers for total pages, just pages per
month.

Assuming a life of 50,000 pages, and printing 100 pages per week, that
would be almost 10 years, 5 years at 200 pages per week, etc. I think
I'm being conservative too.

I expect my Canon i850 will last well past the time I sell it and
upgrade to a better unit in a few years.

 

[Russell E. Owen]

So any facts on the print head life...

It's expected to last the life of the printer, which is great. Except
that Canon doesn't give any hard numbers for total pages, just pages per
month.

Assuming a life of 50,000 pages, and printing 100 pages per week, that
would be almost 10 years, 5 years at 200 pages per week, etc. I think
I'm being conservative too.

I expect my Canon i850 will last well past the time I sell it and
upgrade to a better unit in a few years. [/QUOTE]

If this is like older Canon printers, the print head will be available
as a replacement part *once the first printers have gone out of
warrenty* (before then all replacements are done under warrenty and one
cannot buy the part separately, at least for past models). Thus in
principle one could replace the head and keep running. On the other
hand, if the head is designed to last the life of the printer, that
suggests that other parts may also be reaching the end of their useful
life at that point. It'll be interesting to see how that works out.

-- Russell

 

[Rodan]

Bob is right!

Rodan, not speaking for my employer, McDonalds. (lol)

 

[Rodan]

It will work until it quits....seroiusly, I dont think anyone has owned a
i950 long enough to evaluate the print head life.

 

[Marke DB Johnston]

If someone were to tell me the i960 is faster than the i950 I would take
it with a grain orf salt.

The i950 is VERY FAST and the print engine is the same.

Steve's Conclusion
The Canon i960 is an incredible printer -- it's even faster than its
predecessor the i950 and is so quiet you hardly know it's working

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/canon_i960_pg4.html