Cost Of Use/Ownership Over 1 Year And 3 Years
To measure the total cost of use, we decided on a yearly printing volume comprising 500 pages of text, 300 pages with a mix of text and graphics, 100 4"x6" photos, and 20 A4 photos. Of course, the results we got are only a reflection of reality, and the total cost of use will vary from user to user. But the figures do give you a basis for comparison. To determine the total cost of ownership over three years - which corresponds roughly to the life expectancy of the machine - we added the cost of the initial purchase.
While the Pixma MP780 was the most economical model for a one-year period, the Epson Stylus Photo RX425, due in part to its particularly low purchase price, did better over three years. That result is interesting because it shows that two products that are positioned very differently on the market can have very similar results for total cost of ownership. The models from Brother and Dell also posted good results, whereas the two multifunction models from HP, which are expensive both to use and to purchase, are exorbitant in terms of total cost of ownership.
