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Baraka_Guru · 03-11-2010, 12:29 PM

I have a general idea of what I need in a new printer, but I though I'd pose this to the TFP computer community for some filtration of all the options out there.

I now work at home, and my current multifunction inkjet printer has been bricked by both of my OSes. The printer is old, so it's about time I guess.

My needs at home have changed, and so an inkjet printer won't do. As an editor and a budding writer (in addition to being a big geek in general), my printing demands will be fairly high. It won't be consistently high. That is, I won't be printing high volumes every day. However, there will be times when I'll need to print 200- to 300-page manuscripts, and some days I'll need to print several pages of research or maybe series of letters.

Generally speaking, I'll probably need either a low-end or mid-range laser printer. I'm not that concerned about resolution, print speed, or paper capacity, and I don't need colour capability.

What I'm most concerned about is consumable costs. I'd like to find a unit that has a separate toner and drum setup. It is my understanding that the drum can often outlast the toner. If it it more economical in the long run to have this setup, I want it, even if the unit cost of the printer itself is a bit higher.

I'd like to have a multifunctional printer too. I'd ideally like a scanner, but I have no real need for a fax machine. The scanner isn't essential, and I could even deal with a separate machine for that if need be. I'm not sure if multifunctional in general is a good idea or not.

My concern is that choosing a printer appears to be a bit of a crapshoot. There is so much out there I don't even know how to judge these things. For example, I jumped on BestBuy.ca and immediately saw a multifunctional laser printer for $100. Yeeeah....that sounds like a winner, right? It's the Brother All-In-One Laser Printer (DCP-7030). It looks fine, but why is it so cheap?

So, help me! What should I look out for and what would you recommend? I don't need to spend a fortune. I more more or less just need a basic but quality unit.

03-11-2010, 12:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Laser printer for home office use I have a general idea of what I need in a new printer, but I though I'd pose this to the TFP computer community for some filtration of all the options out there. I now work at home, and my current multifunction inkjet printer has been bricked by both of my OSes. The printer is old, so it's about time I guess. My needs at home have changed, and so an inkjet printer won't do. As an editor and a budding writer (in addition to being a big geek in general), my printing demands will be fairly high. It won't be consistently high. That is, I won't be printing high volumes every day. However, there will be times when I'll need to print 200- to 300-page manuscripts, and some days I'll need to print several pages of research or maybe series of letters. Generally speaking, I'll probably need either a low-end or mid-range laser printer. I'm not that concerned about resolution, print speed, or paper capacity, and I don't need colour capability. What I'm most concerned about is consumable costs. I'd like to find a unit that has a separate toner and drum setup. It is my understanding that the drum can often outlast the toner. If it it more economical in the long run to have this setup, I want it, even if the unit cost of the printer itself is a bit higher. I'd like to have a multifunctional printer too. I'd ideally like a scanner, but I have no real need for a fax machine. The scanner isn't essential, and I could even deal with a separate machine for that if need be. I'm not sure if multifunctional in general is a good idea or not. My concern is that choosing a printer appears to be a bit of a crapshoot. There is so much out there I don't even know how to judge these things. For example, I jumped on BestBuy.ca and immediately saw a multifunctional laser printer for $100. Yeeeah....that sounds like a winner, right? It's the Brother All-In-One Laser Printer (DCP-7030). It looks fine, but why is it so cheap? So, help me! What should I look out for and what would you recommend? I don't need to spend a fortune. I more more or less just need a basic but quality unit. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 03-11-2010 at 12:33 PM..