One of the most frustrating links in the technology chain has always been the printer.

While programs were developed that allow anyone to perform mass mailings, the printer has always been too slow.

Desktop publishing programs have advanced to the point where anyone can create great looking cards and flyers, but these slow down the average printer even more.

Today's digital cameras will create very high-resolution photographs, but most printers can't print the images as clearly as they appear on the screen.

And, while scanners are now cheap and efficient, many connect through the computer's parallel port, causing all sorts of conflicts with the printers that use the same connection.

If any of the above frustrations applies to you, then you might as well go right out and buy a Epson Stylus 900 color printer - and be sure to get one with a USB connection!

The Epson 900 is fast - it claims to print up to 10 ppm in color and 12 ppm in black. In reality, once you add complex graphics or color photographs, it will slow down considerably. Just the same, I recently clocked mine and it ran 30 pages of text with light graphics and some color in 4 minutes 31 seconds, clearly a big step above average!

The Epson also offers unparalleled quality. At up to 1440 dots per inch (dpi) you can actually print photographs that will fool any casual onlooker into believing you had used film, and I've got the framed portraits to prove it.

And, at last, there's convenience. The Epson can be reliably connected to your USB port (assuming you've got a newer computer and are running Windows 98) with no hassle or set-up troubles whatsoever. The beauty of this last part is that the USB port configures itself, prints faster, and leaves the parallel port free for your scanner, external ZIP drive or any other of the many peripherals that have come to rely on printer port connections.

Finally, with a street-price (on the Internet, of course) of just under $350, the Epson Stylus 900 offers an incredible value to anyone who's always wanted more from their printer.

Published: October 7, 1999

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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Stephen Canale only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.