Hi Doug,

Let me try to understand this...when your printer ran out of ink, you exchanged it for a new one?  Six times now?

ROTFLMAO!  I've never heard of that before!  Yes, I guess that will save you money, but does the sales manager still have a job? :)

As far as using 3rd party inks, I'd never do that, at least not in my $850 Epson R2400.  A cheaper printer perhaps one might give it a try.  I've read in different forums the experiences of those who have used third party cheap inks and the results were usually not good, as the paper and ink combination by the original manufacturer are engineered for each other.  Other complaints were the ink screwing up the nozzles, poor color, bleed, and uneven drying.

As suggested above, you might want to consider adding a second printer to your hardware list for everyday printing needs.  I use an HP LaserJet 8150N workgroup printer I snagged for $118.  It was $3,000 new, bought it as an off-lease item from my employer.  I'm not suggesting a monster like that, but just an el-cheapo printer for letters and crap.  You can buy laser printers for a little over $100 if you shop around... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16828117001 and InkJets for even cheaper.

Of course, in Canada you'll pay a little more, but at least you're not using up precious and expensive photo inks.

Doug, if it were me...stick to the original Canon inks and buy a cheap printer for non-photo use.

Warm Regards,

Steve