[SWLUG] Re: cheap laser printers ??

Foeh Mannay f.mannay at ntlworld.com
Tue Apr 20 23:32:37 UTC 2004


On 04/20/04 20:14:40, Rhys Sage wrote:
> Some HPs eg 900c (I think) can do 22ppm in black.

I've never known an ink jet to live up to its advertised PPM unless  
it's spitting out blank sheets. Most lasers I've used (even HP ones) at  
least do meet their stated page rate. Also inkjets running at full  
speed in my experience have *always* stuffed the output alignment up,  
particularly noticable on vertical lines and graphics.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but if you only want mono, a  
laser is going to win out. Toner doesn't dry out like ink does so if  
you only use it now and then that's going to be more cost effective. In  
any case if you compare the cost per page of laser and inkjet printing  
it's pretty staggering. Sure, inkjet printers are cheap but that's  
because they're precisely that - cheap. I realise now that I have an  
inkjet in conjunction with my laser how complacent I got about  
consumables. It's sickening every time I hear the darned thing  
"priming" to know that I probably waste 20% or more of my ink just  
listening to the thing sucking it through the head.

I must sound like I own a laser printer shop or something but  
personally I look at it as a case of spend a few quid more on a decent  
laser and it will last you like 25 years... how many crappy ink jets  
(and how much flippin' ink) are you going to get through in that time?  
Even ignoring the cost of consumables, and the durability of a decent  
laser, if the thing lasts 10 years you're looking at less than a quid a  
month that you'd otherwise spend on mars bars... do yourself (and your  
gut) a favour!

Foeh






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