Printer Buying Tips
Resolution:
Always choose a machine with the highest scanning resolution you can afford. The high quality of the resulting image will more than make up for any added costs you might incur.
Memory:
Again go for the machine that has the largest internal memory you can find or find a machine that has user upgradeable memory. That way you can add additional memory as your budget allows. The reason to go for the largest onboard memory is that almost everything will move quicker when using the unit. Here is a scale of what to look for in memory size.
- 2 mb = Crap, move on, nothing to see here.
- 8 mb = Pretty much standard and is ok.
- 16 mb = Now your talking.
Printer Speed:
This will be a personal preference, which means what can you put up with? If you are like most folks then speed will be king, if so then try to stay away from anything that doesn’t pump out at least 22 pages per minute.
Laser or Ink Jet:
This will more than likely be dictated by budget.
The ink Jet will be cheaper to operate, especially if you buy your replacement cartridges online. One of the big drawbacks to ink jet printing though is that the page will not be waterproof and smears easily.
Laser machines will produce crisp, clear, rapid prints that will not smear. The big drawback to laser machines is the expense. The cost of the machine itself has come down greatly in recent years but the consumables (i.e. toner cartridges) have not, even if you are purchasing online. If you are like me an empty cartridge always comes are the wrong time, i.e. when I have the least amount possible in my checking account.
Tip: Try this! Go to your local chamber of commerce web site and look for Office Depot. In a lot of areas they have a discount program going on. You basically just register the card you are going to be making purchases with and then have your printing done at Office Depot. When you go to pay for your purchase your discount will be applied automatically. The quality of the color prints they turn out is phenomenal and the price you pay is just about what you would pay to print them yourself on a laser printer.
