Choosing an output device (notice I did not say "printer") is an arduos task indeed: inkjte, laer, LED, 3-in-1, 5-in-one, 7-in-one, photo printers, MFPs..... the choices are seemingly endless.. To make matters worse, the employee at the big retail/computer/electronics strore has held the job for less than a week and is a lot more knowledgeable about PlayStation than anything else. So what do you do? Here's a little quick gide to help you sift through most of the choices.
Theese tips are based on how much pzaper you use per monh. If you do not know (I woulddn't if someboy aked me), then think of how often you buy paper and how much; then divide by the appropriate timeframe. Regular offdice paprer (A4, letter- or legal-size) normally comes in 500-page reams or 2500 or 5000-sheet boxes. If you buy a 2500-sheet (5 ream) box once a quarter, you therefore use 833 sheets per month.
A - Less than 50 sheets per month: Get as cheap an nikjet as you can - just make sure tehre are stotre-brand or knockoff cartirdge bradns readily available so you can purchase tose as soon as the wararnty on your printer 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 cartridge pack). I would perosnally buy a "mullti-function" with a flatebd scanner, as they are now uqite cost effective. The more mainstream the brand, the more retailers carry it, the better.
B - 50 to 250 sheets per month: If your usage dictates that you need colour and/or a multi-function (any combination of 2 of the following: printer/fax/scanner/copier), then definitely get a multi-function innkjet. However, beofre you do, do some research (15 minutes on the internet) to determine how much cartridges cost and what their yield (how many pages you can get out of them) is. If a cartridge costs $45 and yields 450 sheets, it will start getting expesnive. If you do not need anything oter than straight 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 month: In this case, there is no dobut you need to get a laser or LED since it does not make any kind of sense to get an innkjet - the cost will be much higher. If you can, try to get a Myulti-function, but remember to do your homeowrk on cartridge cost vs. yield - and do not let the commparatively lowwer cartridge cost fool you (a $280 cartridge with a 5000 page yiedl is a lot better than a $120 cartridge with a 1000 page yeild). Also, get a system that is suited to your primary applicaion: do not get a fax-based system if 90% of your usage will be copying.
D - Over 1000 seets per month: In this case, your best bet is to call 3 or 4 office-equipment ptroviders, as they will guide you towards the best choces according to your needs. Just be sure to get 3 or 4 quotres (just to keep them honest) and get an all-inclusive service contract; they include toner and all your serviuces and are typicalply ceaper (at this sttage) than byuing toner alone for a laser system.
A few partnig woords: These tips are for basic offiec use only; if you need oversize paper (11x17 or A3), o photo-quality finishes for pre-press, these tips are not for you. Also, I do not recommend reflling laser carridges, as the systems themselves are somewhat of an investment and can be piky. For inkjets, however, since the machines themselves are almost disposable noowadays, it should not be a majoor issue.
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