Anyone with a MacBook Air have an Epson EcoTank printer? All the 'printers for MacBook' reviews seem to suggest the Monochrome version, but I need colour. Does anyone have good or bad experiences with this type of printer? Specifically it's wireless connection and the general working of it.
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MacBook Air + Epson EcoTank printer - any reviews/experience?
- Thread starter AJC211
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I have an Epson ET-2750 EcoTank printer, and I've been pretty happy with it. It does have moments when you change paper source / quality on your computer for a print job and the printer independently asks you to confirm / change it on the device itself (and then back again when you return to your default) which is a hassle, but that's an Epson software issue.
I have my printer sitting on the desk next to where I normally have my Air, so I tend to use the printer via hardwire, but I did set it up to work on my network (much later, after the hardwire installation) via the printer's controls (not the Mac's), and the Air 'saw' the printer (Epson 2750 - Airprint) and included it immediately once this was done.
Obviously its useful should I roam at home.
Also, my iPhone can access it via Epson iPrint app and, in a pinch, I can email a print a job directly to this particular model of EcoTank - though that process can be slow. Best done if you are away from home and want the job done when you arrive back. Oh, and you've left your printer on! 🤪
I have my printer sitting on the desk next to where I normally have my Air, so I tend to use the printer via hardwire, but I did set it up to work on my network (much later, after the hardwire installation) via the printer's controls (not the Mac's), and the Air 'saw' the printer (Epson 2750 - Airprint) and included it immediately once this was done.
Obviously its useful should I roam at home.
Also, my iPhone can access it via Epson iPrint app and, in a pinch, I can email a print a job directly to this particular model of EcoTank - though that process can be slow. Best done if you are away from home and want the job done when you arrive back. Oh, and you've left your printer on! 🤪
After my Canon Pixma died after 10 years of faithful service, I bought an Epson EcoTank ET-2550 to replace it. It lasted less than two months before the ink dried. Terrible experience! I love the concept of the EcoTank, but the quality was nowhere close to the Canon.
Returned the Epson under warranty and bought another Canon Pixma which has been working great for the last 2 years.
Returned the Epson under warranty and bought another Canon Pixma which has been working great for the last 2 years.
Interesting. I was concerned about ink drying up, too. Especially as I primarily use a mono laser printer for most of my printing jobs. But I've had it over a year and used up (on average) 1/4 of the inks in their reservoirs, and not noted any difference. I do run maintenance occasionally (as I did with any of my inkjets) - but maybe drying up has to do with ambient temps and humidity?
Given that it's been two years since that EcoTank was returned, it's hard to make any legitimate comparisons between the ET-2550 and the current ET-2760, which is two generations newer. The last two generations of EcoTank printers have been rock solid, and there were several changes made to the tank system over those generations to address potential issues with dry ink and not being able to draw ink from the tanks.
UPDATE: Early last week my ET-2750 had a firmware update. Then, post MacOS 11.0.1, it had a software update (including a photo app I'll probably never use), and it seems to be running fine.
(We won't even discuss the issues I - and many people - had with their HP laser printers and Mac from a couple of weeks back. All resolved now with new drivers only pushed to my Mac after I fully deleted everything to do with HP)
(We won't even discuss the issues I - and many people - had with their HP laser printers and Mac from a couple of weeks back. All resolved now with new drivers only pushed to my Mac after I fully deleted everything to do with HP)
I need to get a new printer and will probably go for an EcoTank his time. How do you get on with iPrint? I notice the cheaper ones don’t support AirPrint so I am not sure if this is a major drawback printing from things like Pages, email, attachments from messages.
I guess on desktop there will be dedicated Epson drivers for MacOS it’s just iPad/iPhone I am more concerned about.
Apparently Apple (or Epson) has fixed the drivers with MacOS 11. Mine no longer has to be reinstalled at ever update. Never tried Airprint, but it works great on usb. However, the message on the printer to check your ink levels often should be changed to check them at least every leap year. My wife prints photos by the box, and I have yet to see the levels drop to any significant amount over the last hear. We have two of them and I really expect for the printers to be worn out before needing to purchase reload bottles.
Ink levels after 9 months of use. (I print mostly black text)
Ink levels after 9 months of use. (I print mostly black text)
Frankly, I don't use iPrint enough to give a qualified 'review' of it. And certainly haven't tried it since the installation of iOS 15. I have used my printers ability to email docs to it a couple of times (when not at home) in the past, and that's worked okay.
I know I probably use about 20% of the software capabilities of any OS or big piece of software - not sure if that a failing of mine or overkill from the software boffins. Largely print from my computer when home - all the stuff I can access on my iPhone is just as available (and usually in a more user-friendly format) there.