As the successor to the ( Macworld rated 4.5 out of 5 mice ), the R2000 offers a number of improvements. While the R1900 was USB-only, the R2000 has multiple connection options, including USB 2.0, 100Base-T ethernet, 802.11 WiFi, and a PictBridge port. Expanded connectivity isn't the only change for the better, however. The R2000 also has higher capacity ink cartridges, which when printing poster-sized photos, can come in very handy.

Some inkjet printers use three inks--cyan, magenta, and yellow--but most include dedicated black cartridges as well. Inkjet printers meant primarily to print photos will often add a second black cartridge for better snapshot printing. The R2000, like the R1900 before it, adds red, orange, and gloss optimizer cartridges to expand the color range of its UltraChrome Hi-Gloss 2 pigment inks.

Epson's marketing materials claim photo longevity of up to 200 years using Epson's Watercolor Paper--Radiant White. The company doesn't specify the print yields of the R2000's eight cartridges, but claim up to 50 percent more prints than the R1900. Epson representatives say they are waiting for the impending release of an ISO standard test page for photographic print speeds. This makes sense, as the standard test files are meant for general purpose printing on plain paper. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult to come up with an accurate price per print and to compare the cost of printing at home versus sending your files to a photo lab.

I tried several types of paper: the Premium Photo Paper Glossy, Velvet Fine Art Paper, Ultra Premium Photo, Paper Luster, as well as plain paper. ICC profiles for many different paper types are included. As with the R1900, using Velvet Fine Art or other specialty papers with the R2000 requires using the manual rear tray, which accepts one sheet at a time. Loading the paper is a bit cumbersome, so if you primarily print on one of the long list of specialty papers that the R2000 supports, be aware that despite the results, the workflow is less than convenient.