An inexpensive laser multifunction printer for small businesses
Fuji Xerox's WorkCentre 3220 is cheap, but that doesn't mean it's a bad printer. It's an entry-level mono laser multifunction that offers plenty of scanning options and has inexpensive consumables.
How we will print and scan in the future
How we will print and scan in the future
How to pick the right printer
Home printers are no longer ugly beige boxes that sit in the corner and jam up at the worst possible moment. These days printers can produce brilliant photos and professional-looking documents, scan and e-mail at a touch, and even back up the contents of your memory card or USB flash drive. There are plenty of printers to choose from, but not all are suitable for students. When purchasing a printer, make sure think about what you plan to use it for, the connections you will need and your budget.
We look at the best and cheapest printers for the back-to-school season
We look at the best and cheapest printers for the back-to-school season
Epson's Stylus Photo TX710W inkjet multifunction offers wireless connectivity and produces great photos
For its price tag, the Epson Stylus Photo TX810FW inkjet multifunction packs in plenty of features. CD/DVD printing, automatic duplexing and a touch-sensitive control panel make this printer a decent choice for the home office, though documents lack professional quality.
Comprehensive connectivity and good photo print quality round out this ambitious inkjet multifunction
Epson's Stylus Photo TX710W inkjet multifunction boasts an automatic duplexer, CD/DVD printing and comprehensive wired and wireless connectivity. Document print quality could be better, but if you're looking for a photo printer with extra features, the Epson Stylus Photo TX710W should please.
The Lexmark Intuition S505 is an multifunction colour inket printer with scanning and copying facilities
Laser printers may finally be coming of age, but judging by the vast array of models in Lexmark's new range, there continues to be a good market for quality colour inkjets. Indeed, while a number of laser printers are now beginning to flirt with low double-digit price tags, many new inkjets are homing in on the $260 mark. This Lexmark Intuition S505 isn't quite that expensive, but it's only going to miss by around $10. So what do you get for such a tag?
Epson's mid-range inkjet multifunction produces decent photos for its price
As its name suggests, the Epson Stylus Photo TX650 inkjet multifunction is better suited to photo printing than office work. Its speed and the quality of documents make it a poor choice for the office, but the quality of photos and ability to print directly to CDs and DVDs should help bring out the creativity in your family. Utilising six individual colour cartridges, the Stylus Photo TX650 inkjet printer produces decent photos at a reasonable price.
A quick HP laser printer with network connectivity
HP's LaserJet P2035n monochrome laser printer is quick and it lets you print using custom media. However, the cost of its consumables and the lack of automatic duplexing make the asking price unreasonable.
A busy office will like this model's speed and features, but its toner pricing and photo quality are disappointing
The Canon ImageCLASS MF8350Cdn colour laser multifunction printer offers a tempting purchase price and some good features. Like most low-cost machines we've tested, however, it has trade-offs--including uneven photo quality.
Don't toss your inkjet or laser out the window -- you need that printer, after all!
Printers: Can't live with them, can't nuke them. You could always toss a misbehaving inkjet or laser out the window, but where would that leave you? Truth be told, we need our printers, despite their maddening quirks. Here's a saner idea: Take a deep breath, channel your inner tech support rep, and repair that which has failed you. (Cue sitar.)
It may sound crazy, but buying the replacement ink you need can cost you almost as much -- if not more -- than a new printer.
With inkjet printer prices so low, and inkjet replacement cartridge prices so high, is it cheaper to replace your printer instead of buying new ink? That's the debate sparked at Digg's tech page when a user posted a photo comparing deskjet ink prices to the cost of brand name replacement cartridges. The Digg user's conclusion: It is cheaper to buy a new inexpensive printer for the free ink cartridges included in box instead of buying brand name replacement cartridges that can be very expensive.
HP's mid-range monochrome laser printer provides serious text printing quickly
If you're looking to do some serious text printing, HP's LaserJet Enterprise P3015x monochrome laser printer is a viable but expensive option. The most expensive model in the company's LaserJet Enterprise P3010 range shares many of its features with the LaserJet Enterprise P3015d, but offers an extra 500-sheet tray.
Dell's portable photo printer only costs $30
Dell's Wasabi PZ310 is an extremely portable photo printer that can produce a 2x3in photo in under a minute. For $30, the printer is a reasonable impulse buy, but low print quality and a short battery life make it a poor purchase for anything more.
Epson's entry-level A3 photo printer produces fantastic output for its price
Epson's Stylus Photo 1410 A3+ photo printer won't feed roll paper like the Stylus Photo R2880, but it's cheaper and sits at a tempting price point for amateur photographers. Direct CD/DVD printing, brilliant output and dye-based consumables make this a viable choice for glossy photos and in-house production of marketing materials.
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