The Queue Monitor provided by ALPS works in the background, but sometimes you need to bring it to the foreground to get it started. Once printing starts, though, this feature seems to work ok. The manuals are clear and concise. Maintenance is a breeze. The platen is easily accessible and can be cleaned with scotch tape if needed.
Paper jams are rare and easily cleared.
ALPS has so many different models to choose from that it can lead to total confusion when you are trying to decide which one to buy. Read the features carefully before making a purchase. Prints to letter paper and legal paper. Prints in resolutions above, to letter-size paper or smaller. 600 x 600 dpi continuous tone, photo-quality output.