Review: Top 10 ink-jet printers

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Lexmark's Z42 Color Jetprinter prints up to 10 pages per minute black ink and up to 5 pages per minute color

by the PC World staff

(IDG) -- Sharp debuts its $179 AJ-2000, which captures the number five spot with above-average print speed and a moderate price. HP's new Photosmart 1218 just misses the chart, though we recommend it for photography buffs willing to spend $499 for its strong features and print quality. Xerox's $149 DocuPrint M760 falls short of the chart with print quality and speed almost identical to its less expensive, fourth-ranked DocuPrint M750.

Top 10 ink-jet printers

1. Lexmark Z42 Color Jetprinter: Fast text performance and reasonable black ink costs make the Z42 a good candidate for printing business memos and reports.

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2. HP DeskJet 932C: Strong print quality and now even better performance make the 932C welcome in any office or home.

3. Lexmark Z52 Color Jetprinter: The versatile Z52 can keep your small office humming, and it can entertain your kids. But its high cost of operation may not make it the best choice if you plan to print a lot of photos.

4. Xerox DocuPrint M750: The M750 would make a fine printer for heavy text and graphics work in a home office or hobby room.

5. Sharp AJ-2000: Sharp's AJ-200 offers a reasonable compromise between price and performance, and it should fit well in a small office, dorm, or family room.

6.Epson Stylus Color 980: The 980 makes a workhorse machine for the small office or home, though print quality could be better.

7. Epson Stylus Color 880: This might be a good inexpensive printer for simple jobs that need to be turned out quickly, but other choices produce better graphics.

8. HP DeskJet 842C: Go with the 842C if you are committed to buying an HP and can't afford to spend more than $150. However, other inexpensive printers offer better performance and similar quality.

9. HP DeskJet 952C: The DeskJet 952C performs quite well, but you can save $100 with the DeskJet 932C if you're willing to put up with slightly slower print speeds.

10. Compaq IJ1200: Fast text performance means the IJ1200 can keep up with a small home office, and with good graphics quality it also holds its own in the family room.

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Chart: Top 10 ink-jet printers
(PCWorld.com)
Beyond the top 10: HP Photosmart 1218
(PCWorld.com)
Beyond the top 10: Xerox DocuPrint M760
(PCWorld.com)
Top 10 laser printers
(PCWorld.com)
Top 10 color laser printers
(PCWorld.com)
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(PCWorld.com)
Top 15 notebook PCs
(PCWorld.com)
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(PCWorld.com)

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