Dell printers used to be rebadged Lexmarks, don't know if they still are. Lexmark used to be IBM's printer division which Big Blue were forced to sell off!

We're still running a ten year old (!) Epson 870 which is just about OK for A4 prints but I guess can't last for ever. What do we do then? A3 printers are enormous, and there don't seem to be any good photo A4 printers any more. You have to buy a so called All-in-One, or Con. Our old 870 has a copying facility in software, and what the hell do you use a fax for in 2010? You can't scan slides at high res either.

Looks like I'll have to go for an A3 jobbie (and a mortgage for the ink) in the end. But why do these manufacturers and big stores impose their choices on us? It's an identical situation with cameras - unless you buy a DSLR there's no optical viewfinder any more so you can't frame your shots. But you do of course get about 100 fairly useless modes like in camera sepia toning! Bah humbug, back to my Speed Graphic and Burroughs drum printer (I jest....)