OT: Hard-copy enablement

[David Oswald]

After acquiring my *ist-DS, I discovered that my seldom-used Canon S820 
inkjet has developed a partially clogged photo-cyan jet.  This results 
in banding in my prints, particularly noticable when using premium photo 
paper.  No amount of head cleaning and such seemed to help.  Since 
replacing the head on a Canon is nearly as much as the replacement value 
of this 3-year-old printer, I decided this is the perfect opportunity to 
buy a new gadget.

I did a little web research, and ended up deciding on the HP Photosmart 
8450.  One sellingpoint for me was that with the HP model, the jets are 
built into the replacable ink tanks.  That means that although tank 
replacements are a little more costly, at least having a clogged 
printhead isn't going to mean I have to give up on the printer.

I also bought because of the nice review on Steve's Digicam website, and 
 another site that links off of Steve's.  Other deciding factors 
included network capability built-in, separate 4x6 tray, built-in card 
readers, built in PictBridge compatibility, the view screen (so if I'm 
in a rush I can bypass that whole Photoshop rigormorol), and the print 
quality raved about on the various web reviews I've read.

Hopefully I made the right decision.  The printer should arrive in a few 
days: $199 at buydig.com (I decided to give pricegrabber.com a try, and 
BuyDig was the lowest price with a reasonable reputation.)

Anyone have any comments or tips for this printer?