[Leica] Advice on a 17" printer

[hlritter at bex.net (Howard Ritter)]

In keeping with the spirit of accommodation and generosity that the Yuletide 
season has been commercialized into in the U.S. of A., SWMBO is kindly, 
unaccountably, once again acting as enabler to my addiction by consenting to 
my being surprised by the appearance Christmas morn of a wide-carriage 
printer under the tree.

Since I have always been an Epson user (up to my current R2400), the 
presumed default choice would be the 3880 or the 4880. I have read here that 
for private users like me, the 488o offers no real advantage over the 
smaller, lighter, less-expensive 3880, so up to now my choice would probably 
have been the 3880. However, the newly announced 4900 (around which the 
budget might be stretched, provided the counter space can be as well) might 
offer a reason to go long and deep on this one. My understanding of the 
recent history of the Epson printer line is as follows:

        1.      The x880 printers were an advancement in some fairly minor 
details over the x800s, including the addition of Vivid Magenta to the 
Ultrachrome K3 inkset

        2.      The latest x900s have the new Ultrachrome HDR ink palette as 
well as new and improved heads

        3.      The x890s added this better head technology to the x880s 
without moving up to the HDR inks

        4.      The 4-series and larger printers are the only ones that can 
accommodate the newer head technology, so there will never be a 3890 or 3900

The Luminous Landscape review of the 7900 certainly gives me reason to think 
that its smaller sibling the 4900 might be worth the extra cost and space 
requirements, but it's too soon for any reviews of it to have appeared.

All that said, I must concede that I'm not wedded to Epson, and would 
consider Canon or HP if there is good reason to.

I throw the floor open to comments and recommendations, both theoretical and 
experience-based.

Thanks to all in advance,

?howard