>I'm considering hitting the boss up for a Lexmark Z52. I'll use black and white to print web pages, code dumps, personnel reviews, etc. The color option will be for project gantts. Anyone have any experience with this model? Is it a smash or trash?

Hi marty,

I don't like lexmark. Bought one of their first low cost models and had to return it because it just wouldn't work no matter what I tried on a win31 machine about 5 or 6 years ago.

I also have an Optra R+ (Laser/1200dpi) that I bought because I NEEDED 1200 dpi output for a publishing project. Hate its paper-handling (it'll only take ONE sheet or envelope at the time if you don't use the drawer). It's postscript clone driver cost me about 10 hours of work on one ocasion. And it's plain ugly.

Print quality and speed, however are very good.

My next printer (if I ever find an excuse for one) will be an HP laser (I don't like inkjets). And btw, it'll have an alphanumeric screen - no lights and icons that can mean a number of things depending on gender, background, education, phase of the moon, etc.

If you're going with inkjets, go with Epson. My wife's an expert on those (she has 4 for her business: canon, hp, epson). The best quality comes from the epson. The fastest response from an HP 1120 inkjet (11"x17").

Good luck!

Alex