What printer should buy?

On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 12:37:04 -0400, Howard S Shubs <howard.DeleteThis@shubs.net> wrote:
 > In article <goldfern-2EA5FD.00190124042005.DeleteThis@news.isp.giganews.com>,
 > Dave <goldfern.DeleteThis@kalama.com> wrote:
 >
  >> If I had the cash, I'd get a laser printer, and am thinking hard of it.
  >> What's a good laser printer, and what to look for in a laser printer?
 >
 > Depends on how you use it. I like Xerox products, and am running a
 > Xerox Phaser 3400, but that's about three years old now and it's only
 > one color.
 >
 > Recommended: do NOT get something with *emulated* Postscript. Get the
 > real thing. My 3400 sometimes screws up. I don't know about the 3450
 > model which replaced it.
 ><http://www.office.xerox.com/perl-bin/product.pl?product=3450> Well,
 > the specs say "Postscript level 3", with no "emulated" in there.
 >
 > Their current color products are
 ><http://www.office.xerox.com/perl-bin/product.pl?mode=category&category=C
 > OLOR_PRINTERS> Note that the 8400 is labeled "solid ink" printer. This
 > is NOT a laser printer per se but something which takes these weird
 > crayon-like (though not crayon-shaped) objects and melts them to make
 > your colors. It's neat, but you should check it out in person before
 > you make decisions about it. Then again, you should do that for any
 > printer you look at.

These printers can produce a very surreal image compared to what
you may be used to with inkjet, see some output first.

 > Depending on how much you print, you can save a LOT of money with a
 > laser printer. Cost per page is noticably lower than with an ink jet.
 >
 > My requirements for a printer were: must hold a whole ream of paper,
 > must speak Ethernet, must be Mac-compatible (meaning: speak Postscript
 > and have appropriate driver or description files), should do duplex
 > (2-sided printing). The 3400 does NOT do this, and I see that the 3450
 > *can* do this. My next printer *will* do this.
 >


--
Martin<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 00:19:01 -0400, Dave <goldfern.DeleteThis@kalama.com> wrote:

 >I need a new printer. I will NEVER by Epson products again-
 >Way too much head cleaning, nozzle checks etc. Just can't depend on it.
 >looking for a printer that doesn't have to have color ink installed. Funny how
 >the epson color runs out just as fast as the black even with hardly any use, and
 >I have to by both cartridges for it to work ( a rip-off ).
 >I've heard that some printers have the print heads on the cartridges so you get
 >new print heads with new cartridges.
 >Any suggestions are welcome, what do you have and like?
 >
 >If I had the cash, I'd get a laser printer, and am thinking hard of it.
 >What's a good laser printer, and what to look for in a laser printer?
 >
 >Thanks...DaveC...

Watch it with colour laser printers. I bought a Lexmark c510 recently
which works really well with my G5 iMac. It cost £250 ($475). However,
it now needs toners and the 6000 page versions are £93 each - $177 and
there are cyan magenta and yellow - ouch!

David<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

In article <ofmp61hr2r4g5v5d98j6ug42s9slte5qdh.TakeThisOut@4ax.com>,
David Pennington <david.TakeThisOut@totallyobjects.com> wrote:

 > Watch it with colour laser printers. I bought a Lexmark c510 recently
 > which works really well with my G5 iMac. It cost £250 ($475). However,
 > it now needs toners and the 6000 page versions are £93 each - $177 and
 > there are cyan magenta and yellow - ouch!

Compare that with equivalent ink jet prices now, meaning "for the same
number of pages".

--
Though I've tried, I've fallen... / I have sunk so low
I have messed up / Better I should know<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:53:58 +0100,
David Pennington (david@totallyobjects.com) wrote:
 > Watch it with colour laser printers. I bought a Lexmark c510 recently
 > which works really well with my G5 iMac. It cost £250 ($475). However,
 > it now needs toners and the 6000 page versions are £93 each - $177 and
 > there are cyan magenta and yellow - ouch!

This is cheap compared to the cost of printing on color ink-jets. The
wax printers (thermal wax transfer - such as the Phaser 8400) typically
price themselves between the color lasers and color ink-jets in terms
of consumables.

Beverly
--
Many a smale maketh a grate -- Geoffrey Chaucer<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

In article <howard-2BB6AA.12370424042005.RemoveThis@news.supernews.com>,
Howard S Shubs <howard.RemoveThis@shubs.net> wrote:
 >In article <goldfern-2EA5FD.00190124042005.RemoveThis@news.isp.giganews.com>,
 > Dave <goldfern.RemoveThis@kalama.com> wrote:
 >
  >> If I had the cash, I'd get a laser printer, and am thinking hard of it.
  >> What's a good laser printer, and what to look for in a laser printer?

I have an HP 1200 series laser printer, it was about $299 when I bought
it (year or so ago). Works great with OS X, it's black/white only.

-Jason

--
Jason Perez | "Frodo Lives!" "Gig 'em!"
Austin, TX<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

]
On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 15:14:33 GMT, "Bev A. Kupf" <bevakupf DeleteThis @myhome.net>
wrote:

 >On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:53:58 +0100,
 > David Pennington (david@totallyobjects.com) wrote:
  >> Watch it with colour laser printers. I bought a Lexmark c510 recently
  >> which works really well with my G5 iMac. It cost £250 ($475). However,
  >> it now needs toners and the 6000 page versions are £93 each - $177 and
  >> there are cyan magenta and yellow - ouch!
 >
 >This is cheap compared to the cost of printing on color ink-jets. The
 >wax printers (thermal wax transfer - such as the Phaser 8400) typically
 >price themselves between the color lasers and color ink-jets in terms
 >of consumables.
 >
 >Beverly

I think that the point I am making is that ink jet costs are
incremental. The colour laser cost hits you in one big lump, unless
you are clever enough to put something by as you go along.

Thats why I say 'watch it', not 'don't do it'.

David<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 12:51:33 +0100,
David Pennington (david@totallyobjects.com) wrote:
 > I think that the point I am making is that ink jet costs are
 > incremental.

True, although the increments come much sooner. Years ago,
I had a Lexmark 5700, and ink costs were about $40 - $50 every
two months or so.

Beverly
--
Many a smale maketh a grate -- Geoffrey Chaucer<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

Bev A. Kupf wrote:
 > On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:53:58 +0100,
 > David Pennington (david@totallyobjects.com) wrote:
 >
  >>Watch it with colour laser printers. I bought a Lexmark c510 recently
  >>which works really well with my G5 iMac. It cost £250 ($475). However,
  >>it now needs toners and the 6000 page versions are £93 each - $177 and
  >>there are cyan magenta and yellow - ouch!
 >
 >
 > This is cheap compared to the cost of printing on color ink-jets. The
 > wax printers (thermal wax transfer - such as the Phaser 8400) typically
 > price themselves between the color lasers and color ink-jets in terms
 > of consumables.
 >
 > Beverly

One strange thing with the Wax printers, be very careful not to move
them once they are warmed up. A (very expensive) phaser printer was
ruined in our office by moving the printer and sloshing the ink all over
the insides of the printer.

Apparently, the ink "crayons" cool off into solid form after several
hours and then they are safe to move. Expensive lesson, however.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

On 4/25/05 7:59 AM, in article
howard-17B6E5.07592125042005.TakeThisOut@news.supernews.com, "Howard S Shubs"
<howard.TakeThisOut@shubs.net> wrote:

  >> Watch it with colour laser printers. I bought a Lexmark c510 recently
  >> which works really well with my G5 iMac. It cost £250 ($475). However,
  >> it now needs toners and the 6000 page versions are £93 each - $177 and
  >> there are cyan magenta and yellow - ouch!
 >
 > Compare that with equivalent ink jet prices now, meaning "for the same
 > number of pages".

I've had good luck using Canon inkjets. You can get a set of real Canons
for $50 for all colors that will print about 250-500 color pages. You can
get generics for $20 for all colors and the same amount of pages.

Either way Canons have a very low cost per page.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy? 

Dave <goldfern.DeleteThis@kalama.com> writes:
 >
 > I need a new printer. I will NEVER by Epson products again- Way too
 > much head cleaning, nozzle checks etc. Just can't depend on it.

I've heard this from a lot of people.

 > looking for a printer that doesn't have to have color ink
 > installed. Funny how the epson color runs out just as fast as the
 > black even with hardly any use, and I have to by both cartridges for
 > it to work ( a rip-off ).
 > I've heard that some printers have the print heads on the cartridges
 > so you get new print heads with new cartridges.

That's HP's design. Every cartridge has its own built-in head. So in
the unlikely event of a clogged head, you can simply replace the
cartridge.

This is one of the reasons I recommend HP printers to others.

 > Any suggestions are welcome, what do you have and like?

I've been using a DeskJet 842C for quite a while now, and I've been very
happy with it. This particular model is now discontinued, but there are
other similar ones that take its place.

My usage is not very heavy (I use about one ream of paper per year.) I
end up changing each cartridge about that often. MSRP for the catridges
is around $35 each. I can usually get them for about $20-25 each if I'm
careful to shop around first.

My only problem with the 842C is that its maximum resolution is 1200x600
dpi. This is not really high enough for photo printing. If you look
closely, you can see dithering. I would look for something that
supports 2400x2400 if I was going to buy one today.

 > If I had the cash, I'd get a laser printer, and am thinking hard of
 > it. What's a good laser printer, and what to look for in a laser
 > printer?

I haven't looked at laser printers recently, but unless something has
changed recently, I would look at an HP brand. They've got a good
reputation.

Also look at the price for a color laser printer. There are some that
are not terribly expensive these days.

If you are concerned about software compatibility, most laser printers
offer PostScript printing - either built-in or as an optional add-on.
PostScript is nice because it's a well-established standard. A PS
printer can be used with almost any operating system, even if it doesn't
have a specific driver for the printer.

Similarly, a lot of laser printers offer Ethernet interfaces. Either
built-in or as an optional add-on. This lets you share the printer
among multiple computers without running any kind of printer-sharing
server software. If your printer doesn't offer this, and you want it,
you can also get third-party print servers. These are small router-like
boxes that have a parallel or USB interface and an Ethernet interface.
Many routers and access points (like Apple's AirPort Express) also have
this feature.

If you decide to use a laser printer, keep the following in mind:

1: They draw a lot of electricity when running. Do not plug one into a
UPS - you'll overload it. You might want to plug it into a different
circuit from your computer as well, depending on how much power the
rest of your equipment is drawing.

2: Toner cartridges are hazardous waste. Don't throw them out.
Fortunately, most office-supply stores have recycling bins where you
can deposit them. (Some stores will even give you a discount on a
new cartridge when you recycle an old one!) Also, some vendors (like
HP) include pre-paid shipping labels in the box with new cartridges,
so you can mail the old one back free of charge.

(Incidentally, ink-jet cartridges are also hazardous waste.
Manufacturers don't usually provide mail-back services, but most
office supply stores will recycle them, and some will give you a
discount on the replacement cartridge when you do.)

3: If you get a color laser printer, there will be four toner cartridges
- cyan, yellow, magenta and black. If you're the kind of person who
likes to keep spares on-hand, you'll need four spares. Be prepared
for this expense (or be prepared to have to go to the store as soon
as one runs out.)

-- David<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: What printer should buy?