What features are built into printers these days???

[Noozer]

Just got back from a vacation at the Father-in-Laws and I must admit his new
HP printer is pretty funky. I'm still using my old Epson Photo 700
printer... The Epson still works fine (no clogs, etc.) but after all these
years it's starting to get dirty, especially after a head cleaning. Looks
like it's time to get a new printer...

One thing I noticed while checking out the new HP was that it had a blue LED
inside that seemed to sense the papers brightness, size, etc. This printer
even did it's own alignment tests instead of asking me which bit of the
output was best. I've got Dad's old HP 1115 here now and it does this as
well.

I really haven't kept up with printer technology and now I'm wondering what
I'm missing. What kind of features can I expect to find on todays inkjet
printers? What printers offer what features?

- electronic eye for alignment?
- electronic eye for paper sensing?
- chipped cartridges to defeat fake ink cartridges (BOOOO!!!)
- smart printers that know when you've refilled (BOOO!!!!)
- duplex printing
- cd printing
- ???

FWIW - I connect my printer to an HP Jetdirect ethernet print server and
never shut the printer off. This has worked fine with my Epson 700 for years
and seems to be OK with the HP once I figured out that I don't need all the
HP software to use the printer (just browse to the drivers folder during ADD
A PRINTER instead of running the HP setup app).

The new Canon printers (i4000?) seem pretty cool, but it doesn't look like
it does paper sensing or self alignment and will it work on my ethernet
print server?

 

[beezer]

Just got back from a vacation at the Father-in-Laws and I must admit his new
HP printer is pretty funky. I'm still using my old Epson Photo 700
printer... The Epson still works fine (no clogs, etc.) but after all these
years it's starting to get dirty, especially after a head cleaning. Looks
like it's time to get a new printer...

One thing I noticed while checking out the new HP was that it had a blue LED
inside that seemed to sense the papers brightness, size, etc. This printer
even did it's own alignment tests instead of asking me which bit of the
output was best. I've got Dad's old HP 1115 here now and it does this as
well.

I really haven't kept up with printer technology and now I'm wondering what
I'm missing. What kind of features can I expect to find on todays inkjet
printers? What printers offer what features?

- electronic eye for alignment?
- electronic eye for paper sensing?
- chipped cartridges to defeat fake ink cartridges (BOOOO!!!)
- smart printers that know when you've refilled (BOOO!!!!)
- duplex printing
- cd printing
- ???

FWIW - I connect my printer to an HP Jetdirect ethernet print server and
never shut the printer off. This has worked fine with my Epson 700 for years
and seems to be OK with the HP once I figured out that I don't need all the
HP software to use the printer (just browse to the drivers folder during ADD
A PRINTER instead of running the HP setup app).

The new Canon printers (i4000?) seem pretty cool, but it doesn't look like
it does paper sensing or self alignment and will it work on my ethernet
print server?

You are asking basically for manufacturers specs on many many models.
The best way to compare would be going to the manufactureres site and
look at their products.. many sites will allow you to compare 2 or
more specs side by side.

If you would have any specific questions on a models performance or
anything of that nature, this would be the place to ask.

 

[Noozer]

You are asking basically for manufacturers specs on many many models.
The best way to compare would be going to the manufactureres site and
look at their products.. many sites will allow you to compare 2 or
more specs side by side.

If you would have any specific questions on a models performance or
anything of that nature, this would be the place to ask.

It was a longwinded request, but basically I'm wondering what other things
printers can do these days that I wouldn't have expected a few years ago.

That "eye" in the HP really caught me off gaurd.

Thx!