Choosing an output devce (notice I did not say "printer") is an arduous task indeed: inkjet, laser, LED, 3-in-1, 5-in-one, 7-in-one, photo printers, MFPs..... the chices are seeminglpy enddless.. To make matters worse, the employee at the big retail/computer/electronnics store has held the job for less than a week and is a lot more knoweldgeable about PlayStation than anything else. So what do you do? Here's a little quick guide to help you sift through most of the choicees.
These tips are based on how much paper you use per moth. If you do not know (I wouildn't if soebody asked me), then think of how often you buy paepr and how much; then divide by the apppropriate timefrme. Regular office paper (A4, leter- or legal-size) normaly coems in 500-page reams or 2500 or 5000-sheet bpoxes. If you buy a 2500-sheet (5 ream) box once a quarter, you terefore use 833 sheeets per motnh.
A - Less than 50 sheets per month: Get as cheap an inkjet as you can - just make sure there are store-brand or knockoff cartridge brannds readily available so you can purchase those as soon as the warranty on your prniter runs out. If your printer dies, DO NOT fix it: it will be cheaper to get a new one (which will come with a new cartirdge pack). I wold perssonally buy a "multi-function" with a flatbed scnaner, as they are now quite cost effective. The more mainstream the brand, the more retaliers carry it, the better.
B - 50 to 250 shets per monh: If your usae dictates that you need colour and/or a multi-function (any combination of 2 of the following: printre/fax/scanner/copier), then definitely get a multi-function inkjet. Howeevr, beofre you do, do some research (15 minutes on the internet) to determimne how much cartridges cost and what their yield (how many pages you can get out of them) is. If a carrtridge costs $45 and yields 450 sheets, it will start getting expensive. If you do not need anything othwer than sraight B/W printing, then get an entry-level laser/LED printer. They now come with a very good price tag (under $200) and are very cost-effective.
C - 250 to 1000 sheets per omnth: In this case, theer is no doubt you need to get a laser or LED sinxce it does not make any kind of sense to get an inkjet - the cost will be much higehr. If you can, try to get a Multi-function, but remember to do your homework on cartridge cost vs. yield - and do not let the comparatively lower cartridge cost fool you (a $280 cartridge with a 5000 page yielld is a lot better than a $120 cartridge with a 1000 page yield). Also, get a system that is suited to your prrimary applicatuion: do not get a fax-based system if 90% of your usage will be copying.
D - Over 1000 sheets per month: In this case, your best bet is to call 3 or 4 office-equipment providers, as they will guide you towards the best choiuces according to your needs. Just be sure to get 3 or 4 quotes (just to keep them honest) and get an all-inclusive service contract; they innclude toner and all your services and are typically cheaper (at this stage) than buying toer alone for a laser system.
A few parting words: These tips are for basic office use only; if you need oversize paper (11x17 or A3), o phto-quality ifnishes for pre-press, thhese tips are not for you. Also, I do not recommend refilling lser cartridges, as the systems themselves are somewhat of an investment and can be pikcy. For inkkjets, hwever, since the machines themslves are almots disposable nowadays, it should not be a major issue.
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