whereas the 90's were the decade of the internet boom, this new decade seems to be one where printers are changing just as fast as the net was changing back then. you buy a printer, set it up, and by the time you print your first print, it's obsolete. so, take a BIG caveat emptor when shopping for a printer.
what i want is a 7 or 9 color process printer that doesnt rely on cmyk only, is never 'out of gamut' with the monitor/editor, can do at least 24 x 36 inches, and is a TRUE flatbed printer. a true flatbed printer is one that does NOT roll the media through rollers to go under the print head(s). the media ALWAYS lies flat and you either move the print heads over the media (paper and other substances), or you move the bed the media rests on under the print heads.
now, you can get those, but they cost upwards of $150,000, usually around $3-400,000 with almost instantaneous drying done under special driers right behind the print heads. frankly, i dont know why HP and Epson cant make a fairly cheap (under $1000.) printer like this. the advantages are remarkable. it's not a new technology. and it's much more versatile. you could even set these up for continuous feed media, making banners and such of 50 foot or more.
ok, a bit off topic here, but i've been wanting to voice this somewhere
craig