Here is a review on the Epson Stylus Photo R340, an updated version of the R320, which came out at the end of 2004. The R340 features a six-color ink system, the ability to print on CDs or DVDs, a 2.4″ LCD screen and the ability to print directly from your camera. This reviewer had given the R320 a look last year, and he believes that the R340 is a pretty solid upgrade, although not worth it if you currently own the R320.

I also found the overall operation of the R340 to be much more quiet in its operation. As the print head glides along, you get a feeling that this printer is a lot tighter in its operation.

So while the printing speed specifications really don’t reflect much of a speed increase, you really do get a feeling that everything is happening much more quickly.

I guess it’s just a quality thing. I’ve seen the same thing with cars. Sometimes it’s just that the newer models only look and feel better but the specifications are actually the same.

He brings up an interesting point - does this printer really have improved performance over the model it replaced, or is it just perception? New printer models are constantly being released, but are they all really better than their predecessors? Probably not. Printer technology has improved greatly over the last few years, but these days it doesn’t improve fast enough to where you are going to see major differences with every new model. There might be a new or improved feature (like the LCD in this case), but what really matters the most is print quality/speed, and that is going to change much unless you are upgrading from a printer that is a couple years old.

Here is a comparison of the two models:

You don’t have to stare at them too long to realize that the actual performance of the machine is exactly the same. Also, since they use the same ink cartridges, it is a safe bet to say that the results of each machine will be the same. Just from looking at the two machines, the R340 is an improved design and looks much better than the R320, but again, not something that would justifying replacing your old machine.

Epson’s newest printer is its best so far [Seattle Times]

Buy this printer Buy Epson Photo Stylus R340 ink cartridges