HP's Photosmart D5460 inkjet printer is a bargain that you can brag about. Though it's a bare-bones printer in most respects, it has a few standout features that any photo enthusiast would love to have.

CD/DVD printing Very good print quality

Can't accommodate legal-size paper

The Photosmart D5460 starts out as a basic machine, but it provides more options and higher-quality output than you'd expect for the price. If you're concerned about the high cost of photo printing, this economically designed model may provide the answer

Kodak's ESP 5 All-in-One Printer stands out from other color inkjet multifunction printers because of its significantly cheaper inks. Unfortunately, that's not reason enough to buy this midpriced ($170 as of August 4, 2008) machine, given its slowness and...

Cheap inks and useful software Nicely designed control panel

Slow, with mediocre scans and copies Photos have a yellowish cast

The Kodak ESP 5 is a decent machine with very affordable inks, but it is slow. If you print a lot and are patient, the cheaper ink might be a reasonable trade-off

HP's Photosmart C4480 color inkjet multifunction printer is inexpensive ($100 as of August 4, 2008), and its prints look nice. But it's slow, and its design is a bit skimpy.

Noteworthy text and photo quality Media slots; simple design

Copies and scans slowly; inks are pricey Copies and scans slowly; inks are pricey

Ink costs are acceptable. The machine ships with a standard-size black cartridge and a tricolor cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridge, each of which lasts less than 200 pages. The high-yield versions are the cheapest way to go: a 710-page black cartridge co...

Low-cost color inkjet multifunction printers like Epson's Stylus NX400 ($100 as of August 4, 2008) have to pack a lot of features into an affordable package. But something's got to give, and in the case of the Stylus NX400, the victim is text-printing spe...

Speedy graphics printing Inexpensive

Slow text printing Expensive inks

If you're printing out your novel, don't get the Epson Stylus NX400: its text speed is way too slow and its ink prices too high. But in most other respects, it's as good as or better than its peers. Bargain-hunting users should be pleased

Dell aims its V305W color inkjet multifunction printer ($130 as of August 4, 2008) at budget-constrained small-office users, stuffing it with a multitude of features for the price. Regrettably, a bear trap lies hidden in that low unit price: Very high ink...

Fast text printing and copying Wireless networking, media slots

Outrageously expensive inks Very slow printing photos

It's too bad about the inks, because the V305W is a nice printer in many ways. But even if you don't print all that much, you'll notice the dent in your wallet fairly quickly. And unfortunately, this printer doesn't print money

HP's OfficeJet J4680 is a $130 (as of August 4, 2008) multifunction color inkjet printer that gives small- and home-office users a reasonable helping of business features at a really low price. Unfortunately, it falls short in speed and long-term economy....

Inexpensive; impressive print quality Wireless networking and ADF standard

Copies, scans, and prints photos slowly Costly inks

The OfficeJet J4680's ink costs are reasonably good--and far better than those of the Dell V305W. The machine ships with a standard 200-page black cartridge and a 360-page tricolor cyan, magenta, and yellow cartridge. Both cartridges yield consumables cos...

Other snapshot printers, beware: HP's new Photosmart A636 Compact Photo Printer sets a high standard. This medium-priced, inkjet-based model is fast and very easy to use. Its print quality is nearly as good as that of the Epson PictureMate Dash, which cos...

Fast; easy to use; many printing options Prints on 5-by-7-inch media

Documentation skimps on some key details

The Photosmart A636 may miss on a few minor points, but it's a fast, capable printer--and its ability to accept an unusually extensive range of paper sizes is a definite plus

This competent color laser is both well priced and well made.

Inexpensive; speedy text printing Sturdy construction

Photos look yellowish Standard tray fits only letter/A4 paper

When matched against other printers in its price range, the Konica Minolta Magicolor 4650EN does as good a job as any at balancing features, capabilities, and cost. Unless you print on legal-size paper, this model is well worth considering

It may be cheap, but it's also a lot slower even than like- or lower-priced models.

Inexpensive; crisp text quality Includes media-card slots

Slow; skimpy, 150-sheet input tray Some flimsy construction

For individual users or a small office, the Color LaserJet CP1518ni's minimal paper handling and toner supplies are probably adequate. Only extremely patient people will find it easy to tolerate the slow engine, however, especially when similarly priced m...

Though this multifunction printer is well equipped for a small or home office, its ink costs restrict it to lower-volume use.

Integrated Wi-Fi; automatic duplexing, Easy control panel; good overall design

Costly ink, Paper trays have some quirks and flaws

, and it has more features than the Dell 968w does