Hello,

You've probably received a lot of these type of questions, but I need
a very experienced or professional response to mine, since the only
skill I lack at buying the printers is experience and being updated on
the newest models -- otherwise I can see the difference between
inkjet, laser, dot matrix, etc.

The main question goes as follows :

If I need a regular printer for regular printing of about 30-50 pages
of text (and rarely graphics) a week, which printer would be the most
convenient, coming with enough features, has positive reviews, and the
ink/toner for which the cost is very minimal?

I am ok with buying a $250 printer over some $50 one. Why? Because I
am very aware that the $50 ones are usually "disposeable" (meaning
they break down after a couple of months) and I hope that a $250 or a
$350 would last me longer. I am also aware that a $50 printer would
require ink that costs $40 per cart and may print up to 100 pages
while the $250-350 printer would have a $20 card with 200 pages to it.

Im hoping someone would research into this area with atleast some
knowledge into this field. It would really not make sense if you visit
those "popular" sites like CNet and just copy over their "BLUNT
REVIEWS! SPECIALS! AND RECOMMENDATIONS!" for printers that are there
only because the parent companies received marketing money from those
printer companies.

Basically I hope that you know what you're doing. Please provide me
with about 5 choices and explain why you believe each would be a good
choice.

Thank you very much.

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Request for Question Clarification by efn-ga on 03 Feb 2005 08:46 PST

Do you need to be able to print in color?

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Clarification of Question by ramouland2-ga on 03 Feb 2005 16:07 PST

Hello, 

Yes. Occasionally I wouldnt mind using the the color feature, but
mostly it will be for text and reports.

Thank you.

babyloveunlimited-ga,

Thank you very much for your input. Its such a pleasure to have
someone who went through the same problem and have some experience to
share.

politicalguru-ga,

Add the Epson right next to Lexmark, HP seems to be better.

One point you should consider is laser vs. inkjet printer. Although
inkjet printers are much more affordable, the cartridges cost quite a
fortune.

Second, I would say - from my own private research when buying a new
printer - that Lexmark received lots of negative reviews, much more
than the brand I finally opted for (HP). My own experience with
Lexmark vs. HP was also leaning towards the HP.

I know your pain in this decision - I recently went through the same
decision. I have had reason to use many printers in my line of work -
electronic graphic design and prepress work - and I have found that HP
is a quality brand as another comment stated. My dilema was as yours -
not a high amount of output per month for a home printer, but I didn't
want a cheap printer as I have ben through 6 printers at the house and
they just aren't up to task.

When printing infrequently as I do, my ink jet printers would not be
ready to print a good quality page without running through a cleaning
cycle which in turn uses up great deals of ink.

I finally began looking for a home laser printer as the prices have
come down in the past few years. I read many reviews and spoke to co
workers and friends about their experiences. I decided on a Samsung
CLP-500 color laser printer because of its' review ratings, price and
features (auto duplex, speed, etc.). I recently saw it on Buy.com for
an after rebate price of $349, although today I don't see it for that
cheap. I spent $399 delivered from Buy.com for mine and I couldn't be
happier with the performance of it. It warms up quickly, prints
excellent quality, and is ready to print a perfect page after being
off for 2 weeks!

I would recommend the Samsung, or a comparable personal laser printer
(the samsung is the only one at this price point to duplex) over an
inkjet printer. Cost per sheet is much lower on a laser printerand the
quality is consistent.

I agree with everyone! I bought a Samsung home laser two years ago. It
does not duplex, but I don't normally need that feature. If I do, I
just turn the paper over.  I paid $149 and the toner cartridge lasts
forever! When it starts getting a bit light, I take out the cartridge,
gently shake it and return it. It will print well for for another few
weeks. My toner cartridge costs $59 but it lasts well over a year, for
thousands of prints, much cheaper than inkjet cartridges.

Lexmark has gotten a lot of bad press, as politicalguru said. We
recently bought my daughter an $70 Canon IP300 color inkjet printer,
whose cartridges are the most reasonable around. It does a fabulous
job, and we are all pleased at it's performance.

As a personal user of a printer that prints in the same category of
you (but slightly higher and with more colour) I would look at an all
in one printer. I have one from HP (PS1315). It scans, photocopies and
prints. It also has a direct port to hook your digital camera into it.
Its got great quality and I have not had a problem with the feeder or
any mechanical parts. My one big complaint... Cartridge costs. This
has one of the "tri-colour" cartridges. Stay as far away from these
bad boys as you can. I would suggest an HP with an 3 in 1 function and
that has seperate ink cartridges for each colour. I like to buy a
couple of cartridges (so I have a backup!), refill them two or three
times and then purchase new ones. This works great for HP's because
the print head is on each individual cartridge, your printing will
always be crisp and clear!