OT: Staples Friday Sale- Epson R320 $99.98 AR

craftech wrote on 3/3/2006, 6:16 AM
Staples typically has one or two good deals on Friday that go quickly. Best I saw this morning was the Epson Stylus R320 CD/DVD printer for $99.98 after rebates. I just did two Staples rebates in December and didn't have a problem. In my case it was a Canon ip4000 for $35 after rebates which I easily converted into a CD/DVD printer.

John

Comments

Former user wrote on 3/3/2006, 6:40 AM
How did you convert it? Was there a website link for information?

Dave T2
Coursedesign wrote on 3/3/2006, 7:55 AM
Was R320 the model that had an improved CD/DVD feeding mechanism?
p@mast3rs wrote on 3/3/2006, 7:59 AM
what the heck is an easy rebate? Isnt that an oxymoron?
Former user wrote on 3/3/2006, 8:12 AM
Staples has an easy rebate where you don't have to mail anything in. You do it all online and you get your rebate faster.

Dave T2
Coursedesign wrote on 3/3/2006, 8:12 AM
Staples Easy Rebates are easy. You enter the info online => "the check is in the mail."
Has worked fine for me.

The reason the R320s are blown out right now is the R340 model just out, $159 at Fry's. The only difference I can see from Epson's description is that "it can now connect to Flash drives."

craftech wrote on 3/3/2006, 8:58 AM
How did you convert it? Was there a website link for information?

Dave T2
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Basically, the Canon printers sold in the United States have the CD-R mode disabled (probably some anti-trust deal with Epson). In Europe the feature is enabled so changing the Rom of the printer will enable it for any Canon printer worldwide(easy to do). The US driver that came on the CD will work just fine and CDLabelPrint 1.20 can be downloaded. You have to pop out the long plastic tab in the front that prevents a CD tray from being inserted in US models and you also have to make your own tray or buy one on Ebay. The hatch door in the back opens easily on all models.

The instructions are here for the various Canon models.

John
Former user wrote on 3/3/2006, 9:00 AM
John,

Thanks for the link and information.

Dave T2
Coursedesign wrote on 3/3/2006, 9:21 AM
Sigh, so that's why Epson are the only ones here.

"Unique device for printing round objects in a square printer" or whatever the patent description might say.

Epsons have the edge in photo printing, but Canon printers work more reliably with 3rd party ink.
reidc wrote on 3/3/2006, 1:06 PM
FYI, just got back from Office Depot where the R320 is selling for $154. There's a $50 mail-in rebate AND a $35 OD gift card as well. The store I just came from (Studio City, CA) was willing to kill the $35 off the walk-out price of the printer, bringin total actual cost of the printer after rebate to $69. FYI.

Reid C
Coursedesign wrote on 3/3/2006, 1:14 PM
That's less than the store cost of the ink cartridges that come with it...
reidc wrote on 3/3/2006, 1:40 PM
Wow. Hardware's just a loss leader for the ink.