Posted to Inkjet Printers 2009-05-18
If you need an affordable printer to get the job done fast, then the Epson WorkForce 30 Ink Jet Printer is for you. While it does not boast the expensive features of competing models, it provides draft prints at up to an amazing 38 ppm (black). Single-function printers seem to be rare on the market today, but this quality Epson helps to fill that void. It easily competes with similarly-priced competitors. Although this particular model has been known to jam and smudge, overall it provides extremely fast, quality prints and a pleasant printing experience. This printer is average size with dimensions of 17.1" x 20.1" x 11.9" and a weight of 8.6 lbs. Moving the WorkForce 30 from one place to another is fairly painless, and the printer can be stored in a space of 17.1" x 9.8" x 6.3" (non-printing). Thanks to its dual black ink cartridges, the Epson WorkForce 30 can produce quality prints in about the same time as a laser printer- but for half the power consumption. It will print pages of a maximum 8.5" x 44" paper size at a top resolution of 5760 x 1440 optimized-dpi. Consumers have complained that the print quality is lower than expected and the printer jams frequently, but these results have varied under different conditions. Overall, this printer is a great value when compared to the number of pages per minute competing models produce, but the WorkForce 30 has its faults.
ValueFor a reasonable price, this printer is an excellent value. No doubt about it, this model prints pages faster than any other similarly-priced printer on the market today. The cartridges use DURABrite Ultra pigment ink, which adds to the overall value by allowing the most pages for each drop of ink. While the print quality isn't spectacular, consumers must remember that this is just a simple one-function printer that is supposed to produce pages FAST. So if you are not particular worried about quality, this printer is right for you. FeaturesWhat makes this printer so unique is the ability to hold high-capacity ink cartridges. The majority of modern printers use four different ink cartridges, but this one uses five (three color, two black). As far as software, this model also comes with a cool Epson Easy Photo Print program to aid you with printing (although photos don't print well with this printer). Also in the software, there is an integrated "Web to Page" feature that allows users to produce printer-friendly versions of web pages. The WorkForce 30 features drivers for Windows XP and up and Mac OS X 10.3.9 and up. All in all, this printer lacks the fancier features (wireless function, etc), but it is a deal for the price. SummaryThe Epson WorkForce 30 Ink Jet Printer is another one of those "50-50" printers, in that, half of consumers who bought this model were satisfied, while the other half of consumers were not. Most dissatisfied consumers had been expecting excellent quality because of the Epson name, but the WorkForce 30 is not meant to be a photo printer. Simply put, it is a single-function printer that was designed to produce medium quality pages very quickly- flyers, invitations, and so forth. If you are just looking for something fast, simple, and easy to use, then this printer may be for you. Pros
Cons
Related LinksCanon PIXMA MX310: |
