Well... Since I happen to work for a Printer supply company (refills, re-mans, etc), I'm not going to get into the buy the Manufacturer's inks only..

But, I will comment on reliablity. HP. It's the only way to go for inkjet. Epson prints SLIGHTLY nicer in most models, but Lord, the number of complaints and problems that come from those things is HUGE. Our QA department hates them with a passion. Canons tend to be pretty good in terms of lasting, but HP's are built like tanks. The Standard HP cartridge is pretty well over-engineered. Not to mention that you get a significant amount more ink out of them.

I've been pretty happy with the quality of my prints from a Deskjet 990 onto photo paper, but for really major jobs, I go to the lab.... That's where the REALLY nice printers are (mega $$$$$).