Buying a Printer
Did you get a good deal on that inkjet printer? Or did it come free with your computer? Congratulations. Now, what does it really cost to use? Bought any ink cartridges lately?
Do you realize that ink for an inkjet printer costs around $5000.00 per gallon?
If you print more than one e-mail a week from the grandkids, you may find that it's more cost-effective to buy a laser printer. I know, lasers are more expensive at first, but toner cartridges last longer, and the key is cost per page. It can cost anywhere from 8 to 30 cents per black and white page to print with an inkjet, but it can cost around 2-3 cents per page of text on a laser. Buy a couple of inkjet cartridges, and you can pay for a laser printer. AND, some manufacturers put circuits on their inkjet cartridges that disable the cartridge after a certain amount of time, whether you use it or not. How would you like to buy gas for your car, and be told that if you don't use it up by a certain date, you have to dump it and buy new? Inkjet cartridges are the profit for printer manufacturers. That's why the printers themselves are so cheap.
I've had my Dell 3000CN (color, by the way) now since 2005. I've replaced one toner cartridge, and I would say I print at a moderate level. It's still going strong. I plan to never buy another inkjet again.
To be fair, if you print photos (in high quality) often, an inkjet is still needed, because color lasers don't print photos as well. But if you do mostly text, laser is the way to go.
If you are in the market for a new printer, or if you are tired of paying through the nose for cartridges, check the reviews at PCWorld and PC Magazine.