Pros:
Low Ink Cost, Photo Print Quality, Good Software Package
Cons:
Very Large, Printhead/Ink Cartridge Setup Can Cause Errors
The Bottom Line:
If Kodak can fix the printhead issue this is a great printer. If that happens, the low cost of ink will make this printer well worth the money.
Overall Rating:
Author's Review
This printer seemed attractive to me due to the low cost of ink which blows away any competition. I found it at a great price which helped since this model can be a bit pricey. It's easy to set up out of the box and the Kodak Easyshare software that accompanies it is easy to learn and use. It is a bit large so make sure you've got enough room on your desk for this beast.
Samples of Kodak's 4x6 photo paper are included in the box which compelled me to try that function out immediately. The 4x6 paper is put in it's own tray which slides into the printer to enable photo printing. I like that setup although it can be a bit frustrating if you want to print documents and forget to disengage that tray first, I learned that quickly. The first photos I printed blew me away, my old HP All-in-One printed pictures that never looked quite right but the Kodak makes them look as though I got them developed professionally. The colors were vibrant and true and facial tones came out perfect. The ink levels don't seem to diminish too much when printing photos which is another plus.
I printed some documents later and they too looked great as should be expected, I still have to figure out how to darken the text though as it seems lighter than it should be.
The one problem I've had so far is with a printhead error message I got a few hours after I started using the printer. I was attempting to print more photos and as the printer was warming up it gave me an error message saying the printhead wasn't properly installed (part of the setup process) and that I shoud reinstall the printhead and ink cartridges. That seemed like it should be an easy fix, the printhead snaps in just as easy as the ink cartridges do, but after a dozen attempts the message wouldn't go away. I contacted Kodak after their website gave me no answers and a new printhead was sent to me at no charge. I was extremely happy with that whole process, their customer service was top notch and the part arrived less than 24 hours after I complained. After installing the new printhead and complimentary ink cartridges the printer works just fine and I've had no problems with it since, hopefully that's just a one-time problem.
I haven't used the scan or fax functions too much yet but each seems to be easy to figure out. The control panel on the printer is great with the color LCD screen that allows you to print directly from a memory card without using your PC.
In closing, I would highly recommend this printer to anyone who enjoys printing photos from home. The ink cost is a huge factor for me, I can now print as much as I want without feeling like I'm breaking the bank to pay for the supplies.