Lexmark 5700

I had been on the lookout for a non-Windows ink-jet printer as I had a PC with multiple Operating systems, and in particular, a printer that was supported by Redhat Linux without too much hassle. The printer was expensive, a lot more than I would have paid for a different brand, but it seemlingly had what I was looking for.

Well, did I get a bad experience... I don't use the printer very much. This is because I usually print volume and text. Something my laserprinter at work will do much cheaper (for me at least). The times I wanted to print something at home, like a letter to my family, or an invitation for a party etc, the printer refused to print. Not the first 2 or three times, but the 4th and so on. Then it complained about not having any ink left. I though, my, that was quick... I borrowed a replacement ink-cartridge from a friend, who happened to have a compatible cartrigde (original Lexmark). Now my printer didn't print at all... I brought it in, and three months later, I got a replacement printer. Plugged this in, and after only a couple of printouts (with new cartridge), it complained about no ink again... I rang technical support, and they sent me a replacement power supply (they stated that this was a potential solution.....). After receiving the replacement power supply, I plugged it in, and guess what. It still didn't work. Now, on my second printer of the same brand, with the same ink cartridge problem (and extremely expensive these were too, roughly a fifth of the printers cost per cartridge (and the printer takes two), I decided to bring the printer where it belongs, in the scrapyard. Yep, I simply ditched the whole printer. What use is a printer that doesn't print, and brings you around town, looking for repairs and lots of extra money (for cartridges).

If you ever come across this printer, steer away!!!!!

Unreliable. This is a New World Order device: it doesn't work for you, you work for it. A gimmick to sell over-priced ink. Won't work unless all four chambers (two cartridges) are full. No color metrics (icm) file available-- color matching is hit & miss, at best. This little ink-sucking parasite has convinced me to avoid Lexmark products altogether. If you want to print color, get an Epson (written in 2003); if you want to print text, get a laser. This printer is good for Lexmark, bad for users.

Owned this Lexmark 5700 inkjet printer for quite a while (some years) and I'm happy with it for home use on draft or letter quality (laser like results). Good inks (but can be better). Never tried a photo cartridge & photo papers to see really how nice photos can be on this printer. I recommend it for usual prints (text with coloured graphics, documentation, notes etc..)..it does the job and pretty fast!

The print quality on the Lexmark 5700 inkjet printer is quite simply stunning and leaves behind most other popular inkjets I've seen. When using full colour printing, the colour is very realistic and true to life, with a very high level of photorealism on photos which can easily pass for glossy magazine quality. Great for printing stationery and letterheadings. Not the fastest inkjet printer, but what this printer lacks in speed it certainly makes up for in print quality.