PC Magazine was right, but is the Epson 980 printer for you?
Written: Oct 01 '00 (Updated Nov 27 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quality prints and fast printing
Cons: Not as fast as claimed
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| DrDad's Full Review: Epson Stylus Color 980 Inkjet Printer |
In looking for a new printer you checked out PC Magazine (November 21 issue) and saw that the Epson Stylus Color 980 is a PC Magazine Editors' Choice for inkjet printers. Because you are also thinking about printing your photos instead of getting them developed, you want the best quality color printer you can find. The Epson Stylus Color 980 seems to fit the bill, so you headed over to Epinions to see what has been said about it (good or bad). That brought you to this review and now you're wondering if I will ever get to the point (don't worry, I hope to make you trip here worthwhile).
Maybe I've described you, and maybe I haven't. Regardless, you're here to learn about the Epson Stylus Color 980, probably because you are considering purchasing it.
This review
1. describes the features of the Epson 980,
2. compares them to the Epson 880 (a very similar model), and
3. makes purchase recommendations based on your needs.
Epson Stylus Color 980 Features
In case you haven't read the PC Magazine report, here is my version of the Epson Stylus Color 980 features. If you have read the report, skim this part and skip to the Epson 880 comparison.
Price
The Epson Stylus Color 980 retails around $249, but Epson offers a $50 rebate so you can secure one for around $199. That is, IF you can secure one. As of this writing none of the stores in Oklahoma City had one and most of the online sellers were out of stock as well (including the Epson store itself).
Resolution
The Epson Stylus Color printers use Micro Piezo technology to produce crisp, sharp, images. Quoted from the Epson web site, the Micro Piezo printing process is a solid-state digital process which "relies on the inherent phenomenon of the Piezo crystal. An electric charge is passed across the crystal which produces a pumping action, forming and ejecting ink-droplets." This is a different (and many say 'better') process than thermal inkjet printing in which "ink is held in the nozzle of the printer until it is required to fire an ink-droplet. When this happens a small electric heater in the nozzle is switched on to start a heating process. This causes a bubble to form in the nozzle which forces the ink-droplet out of the nozzle."
Furthermore, the size of the ink droplets of the Epson 980 are a mere 3 picoliters (as opposed to 4 or 6 picoliters of other Epson printers). The smaller the droplet size, the better the picture quality, and 3 picoliters is the smallest you can get from Epson as of this writing. The dpi (dots per inch) resolution of the Epson 980 is 2880 X 720. This is slightly different than what you will find with most other printers, especially non-Epson brands. Similar HP and Lexmark printers would have a 2400 X 1200 resolution.
Speed
Epson claims a print speed of 13 ppm (pages per minute) black, and 10 ppm color, but PC Magazine only achieved about 7 ppm black. I've owned three Epson printers and non of them have printed as fast as Epson claimed they should. I'll grant that the Epson 980 is one of their faster printers, but don't expect to churn out 13 pages per minute unless you are printing black and white documents in draft mode (and even then you'll be lucky to get 13ppm).
Connectivity
The Epson 980 is capable of a regular parallel port connection, a USB connection, and a network connection for business use. Most home users will use the parallel or USB connection. Business users will appreciate the built-in network connectivity.
Quality
Well I don't know what more you could want, since this is the best Epson has to offer in its Stylus Color series. When printing on quality Epson paper, text comes out in laserjet quality (although a careful eye will tell the difference) and photos on glossy paper come out like, well, photos. In a frame and behind glass, no one will be able to tell the difference between your Epson printed pictures and the pictures you have developed (unless they do a side-by-side comparison holding the images three inches from their face). If you haven't seen a photo-quality print from an Epson printer in a while, you will be shocked by the superb image you get.
Comparing the Epson 980 to the 880
The main purpose of this review is to compare the 980 to the 880. Why should I do this? Because I care about you, the consumer. I am concerned that many consumers (including you) will read PC Magazine's report and decide to buy the Epson 980 when in fact you may be better off with the Epson 880. Let's look at the similarities and differences between these two printers and see which one is right for you.
Similarities between the Epson Stylus Color 980 and 880
Perhaps the most important similarity between the Epson 980 and 880 is that they both print at the same resolution (2880 X 720). Print resolution affects print quality and in this case, the resolution is the same for both printers.
Another similarity is print speed. Epson claims the 980 prints 13 ppm black and 10 ppm color while the Epson 880 prints 12 ppm black and 9 ppm color. The average home user will probably NOT notice this difference in print speed. If you are printing a letter here, a card there, a photo here, a term paper there, the speed of the 880 will be as satisfactory as the speed of the 980 (although the 980 will indeed be a few seconds faster).
Differences between the Espon Stylus Color 980 and 880
There are four areas where the 980 and 880 differ, and the first of them doesn't count.
First, the 980 has a larger paper rest and a grey cover, whereas the 880 has a smaller paper rest and a see-through cover. I doubt this difference should affect your purchase decision.
Second, the 980 is built for business or home-office use in that it has network connection capabilities and has a higher print volume than the 880. However, most home users don't need the network connection option and do not print at high volumes (I would say 10 pages a day is high volume, and that is a conservative estimate).
Third, the Epson 980 has a greater 'potential' for higher print quality because its ink drop size is 3 picoliters as compared to the 880's 4 picoliters. Furthermore, the 980 has more print nozzles (192 monochrome and 96 color) than does the 880 (144 monochrome and 48 color). These differences may be important to those who want the very best that Epson has to offer, but again, the average home user will be more than satisfied with the photo print quality of the 880. Framed and behind glass, differences in photos printed by the 980 and 880 will not be noticed by the casual observer. Furthermore, I called tech support twice, and both Epson representatives independently stated that the difference in quality between the 880 and 980 is "slight," "minor," and "barely noticeable." (Those were the exact words they used). When asked what the main difference between the 880 and 980 was, the tech reps stated that the 980 is a little faster and is network capable.
Finally, the Epson 980 costs $249 but has a $50 rebate (which many buyers forget to send in). The Epson 880 costs $149 which is $50 less than the rebated 980. Many people buying a new printer have just bought a new computer, and money is therefore scarce. A $50 savings, without a noticeable lessening of quality, will be a deciding factor for some. Others will gladly pay $50 more to have the best and fastest that Epson offers.
Which printer is right for you?
Let's look at several If-Then scenarios to see which printer would be best for you.
If you print several pages a day, then you may appreciate the minor differences in speed and ink cartridge duration of the Epson 980.
If you need or want a printer that has a built-in network connection, then the Epson 980 has it (and the 880 doesn't).
If you don't mind spending an extra $50 in order to get the best possible quality and fastest printer the Epson Stylus Color line has to offer, then the Epson 980 is the printer for you.
However, if you are a home user, who plans to print a few pages a day (or less), and plans to print some of your scanned or digital photos to put in an album or in a frame, then I strongly suggest that you consider the Epson 880 instead of the 980. The resolution is the same, and the Epson 880 photo-quality printouts on Epson's glossy paper are absolutely stunning. Finally, set $50 on the desk in front of you and think of all the things you could do with it.
I hope my review has helped you understand the differences between the Epson Color 980 and 880. I hope that knowing about these differences will help you decide which printer is right for you. For me, I chose the Epson 880 because I felt like the potential difference in quality would not be worth the $50. Having seen several flawless printouts (both text and color) from my 880, I am very pleased with my decision.
Whether you decide upon the Epson 880 or Epson 980, as always, I hope my words have helped you with your decision.
Bret
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Part I of this review covers the Epson Stylus Color 880: Setup, Tech Support, and Getting Photo Quality Prints
http://recommended.epinions.com/cmd-review-35A8-1701672E-39D64ADD-prod2
Part III of this review compares the Epson 880 to the Lexmark Z52
http://recommended.epinions.com/cmd-review-622D-ADBCC18-3A1850E4-prod4
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199
Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
Paper Handling: Don't know
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DrDad
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Location: Oklahoma
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