I've had a series of Epson and HP inkjets, all of which sooner or later suffered print head issues. Advised by a mate to get a Canon, and it's in a different league on build quality. The service pack and replaceable heads should mean this one lasts. Photo print quality and colour rendering, even on plain paper, are excellent, and text clarity better than my mono laser. Scans are clear though on first acquaintance the software's a lot less flexible than my old LiDE 200. Setup on USB was very straightforward.
Printerbase? Great website, reasonable prices (difference from the cheapest well worth paying for) and delivery to rural Cornwall in under 24h when I'd paid for 48. Phone call from sales offered help with setup without my asking. These guys are doing everything right.