Canon Pixma MegaTank G3690

Pros: Very easy to fill with first lot of ink supplied with the printer. Being a MegaTank, ink will last a long time, no catridges and less refills. Cons: Much noisier than our previous 12yo Brother Printer. Wifi connection drops out after being switched off for a while needing inconvenient reconnection. Shows that Wifi connection is not strong even though it is less than 2 meters away from the router. Seems to do a lot of thinking before it prints, and that "thinking" is, again, loud! Reasonbly sized windows showing how much ink is left in each ink tank but very hard to see the levels...at this price they should have been back lit! Conclusion: I was not to know before purchasing, but it isn't the most ideal printer. However, you do pay extra for this printer, NOT because it is a premium product....it is because CANON are recouping more money from your pocket due to the fact they aren't ripping you off for old style print cartridges anymore. So in conclusion, we just have to live with this printer as it is.

The printer constantly gets jams when double sided printing. Goes into processing mode and doesn’t stop unless you turn it off. Very frustrating printer to use because you’re constantly having to stop and restart. Positive long lasting ink.

Pros: While not the cheapest printer around, when you factor in the cost of ink this printer works out pretty cheap per page. Replacement ink bottles are relatively cheap and they are easy to use. Cons: It's a bit slow, it's a bit noisy and the print quality is average. Also contrary to the marketing images of the printer you may see around the web, it is nearly impossible to see how much ink is left in the tanks. The windows are dark and you just can't see the ink level.

The printer does have a "maintenance cartridge" which needs to be periodically replaced at a cost of around $15. Canon don't actually say anywhere in the documentation or on the website how often this has to be done.