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The problem description indicates a failure in one of three locations:

1. The printhead
2. The printhead socket and cabling
3. The main processor board

All are about equally likely, so the odds are 2 to 1 that the problem is not the printhead. This is why you saw a significant number of comments that replacing the printhead didn't solve the problem -- more than half the time, the problem is not the printhead.

Printheads for the MX700 are running about $75 on ebay. Given that this is not a guaranteed fix, I can't recommend replacing the printhead with confidence that this will solve the problem.

That leaves repair or replacement. Repair is certainly an option, but it is not usually an economic option. The cost to repair the printer would be $20 for shipping to a regional repair center, $20 to ship it back, two hours at $75/hour tech time, and at least $50 in parts. That totals out at $240. Given that office and computer superstores have all-in-one printers on sale every week new for about $80, you could buy a new printer, a spare new printer, and still have $80 in your pocket for what it would cost to repair the MX700.

If you like the MX700, which is certainly a decent printer, I recommend looking for a used one on craigslist or ebay. The printer is available used for about $100 shipped, which is a reasonable price. This also allows keeping the already-installed-and-working printer drivers, support software, and scanner software. A link to a quick search for MX700 printers on ebay is below:

http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Canon-PIXMA-MX700-AllInOne-Inkjet-Printer-/69535447?_refkw=mx700&_pcatid=42&_ipg=&_pcategid=171961&_from=&_dmpt=COMP_Printers&_armrs=1

Alternatively, you can replace the printer with a different model. If you take this path, I recommend buying a printer from a different manufacturer. The reason for this is that when the Canon printer software is uninstalled, it will not uninstall completely cleanly. Installing software for a different Canon printer may run into conflicts with the "stuff" left behind. If you purchase a printer from another manufacturer, the chances of this type of software conflict are less.

Summary: The chances that a printhead replacement will solve the problem are only 1 in 3. Repair is uneconomic. Replacing the printer is the best option.


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