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Thread: Home printer advice

  1. #1
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    Default Home printer advice

    Ok, the old Lexmark has finally bit the dust (not before munching down some reasonably expensive ink cartridges mind you .)

    Wife insists on a new printer.

    Need something
    Mac compatible as home comp is an iMac and MacBook air, iPads and iPhones (I know we're sheep, baaaa)
    Wireless (about 30 feet from main comp)
    Easy to use/setup
    Warranty wouldn't hurt as we have been through what I would suspect is more than average over the years
    Decent cartridge life/price

    Printer is used for mostly printing word docs, not used very often, maybe once a week.


    Figured I would ask beyond if anyone has a printer they have been reasonably happy with. Thank you in advance for your input!

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    I have a Samsung colour laser printer that works really well and wasn't that expensive. It's on sale at memory express often for like $140 or something. Pretty sure its wireless. I'll grab the model number in a bit for ya.
    Ultracrepidarian

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    Have had a HP Officejet Pro 8600 for a number of months now - has wifi and Apple AirPrint features. Doesn't have a dedicate photo paper stock slot but we didn't buy it for that as we never used that feature on our last printer. Is quite fast and has gotten great reviews. Also does automatic duplex printing which is quite handy, good sized paper tray and has good web connectivity including downloadable calendars and such as well as being able to print remotely to it.
    Will fuck off, again.

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    IMO - for the average home user, the use of wet ink is over. Lasers AIO printers have dramatically come down in price. The inks will never dry and they are fairly reliable. B&W lasers start new at 50$.

    The only users (IMO) who should be using wet ink are the people who need colour 11x17" printes - as that size is prohibitively expensive with a laser still.

    Take a look at what staples has (the first will meet all your criteria).

    http://www.staples.ca/en/Laser-Print...%27listView%27
    Last edited by revelations; 10-13-2013 at 07:31 PM.

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    Originally posted by revelations
    IMO - for the average home user, the use of wet ink is over. Lasers AIO printers have dramatically come down in price. The inks will never dry and they are fairly reliable. B&W lasers start new at 50$.

    The only users (IMO) who should be using wet ink are the people who need colour 11x17" printes - as that size is prohibitively expensive with a laser still.

    Take a look at what staples has (the first will meet all your criteria).

    http://www.staples.ca/en/Laser-Print..._1_20001#fids=[%274214935655|4214935654%27]&viewDetails=%27listView%27
    Interestingly enough, if one wants a laser printer with AirPrint and wifi like the OP is looking for, the list at Staples narrows down to exactly one item - not much selection and that one printer doesn't do automatic duplex printing either

    Adding in inkjet multi-functions with these capabilities expands the selection by another 4 printers.

    I will agree that laser printers are dropping in price and will be the way to go at some point, but inkjet multi-function printers still offer way more value for the money even when you figure in the ink costs. When we settled for our current HP inkjet multi-function, we seriously looked at some lasers and their ink costs per page were considerably above the HP inkjet we selected - something I would've never expected and was quite surprised by. Do your homework and crunch the numbers as lasers are not necessarily the cheapest option on a per page basis including the cost of the printer factored in as well.
    Will fuck off, again.

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    I'd have to pull up a chart that compares print costs btwn laser and inkjet - but if youre (like OP) printing once a week, chances are the cartridges will dry out the same and the ink heads will clog up eventually from lack of use.

    To me it seems like wet ink printers are DESIGNED to waste ink so that the consumer has to constantly buy new.
    Last edited by revelations; 10-13-2013 at 08:22 PM.

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    http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX40182

    For the once a week use, laser is the way to go. Ink dries up too quickly on inkjets and you'll end up spending way more on ink or likely just buy a new printer.
    Last edited by msommers; 10-13-2013 at 07:47 PM.
    Ultracrepidarian

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    I really like the Canon AIO B&W laser we have. It does duplex printing, it scans, Very happy. My last couple printers have been inkjets, and the ink has always dried out before running out. Very frustrating to be looking at a $40 ink cartridge when you know you didn't get full use out of the last one.
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    my brother aio colour laser has been great. had it 1.5 years or so, so there is probably a newer model by now. costco and amazon had mine on sale when i bought it.

    https://www.brother-usa.com/MFC/Mode...60cdw/Overview

    has an app for android and ios, as well as wifi.

    i use to buy cheap aio's, but got tired of them always crapping out every year or two. the brother, although more pricey, has been solid and worth it. they have cheaper versions as well though, but the cheaper ones didnt have all the features i wanted.

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    I picked up a HP 2605dn from costco in early 2006 for $400.

    Earlier this year I bought my first replacement toner at 125/cartridge.

    Printers still running strong and I use i moderately. 2-3 days a week I print 5-15 pages.

    It's wired, but I'm sure there's a wireless HP laser out now, and I'll never go back to ink.

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    Originally posted by colsankey
    I picked up a HP 2605dn from costco in early 2006 for $400.

    Earlier this year I bought my first replacement toner at 125/cartridge.

    Printers still running strong and I use i moderately. 2-3 days a week I print 5-15 pages.

    It's wired, but I'm sure there's a wireless HP laser out now, and I'll never go back to ink.
    At 4 years and $525 ($400 + $125) and let's say an average of 10 pages a week, you'd be looking at a per page printing cost of about 25 cents not including your paper costs.

    OP was concerned about costs and while an inkjet will dry up if not used, 25 cents per page is up there on a per page basis and considering that the only laser that Staples offers with AirPrint puts him close to this per page cost, OP's decision is not easy.

    In either case (laser of inkjet), the printer manufacturers have the consumer over the barrel - the money's not made in the machine but in the ink. In our household with two kids in university, a third in senior high, several businesses to run and also the several non-profit organizations we're actively involved with means a printer gets a lot of use and cost per page becomes on of the major determining factors - ink never goes dry in our home.

    On another train of thought, if one is printing so little is it possible to just do that printing at Staples or some similar service (if they exist)? What exactly is out there in the means of low volume, remote printing? Yeah, I understand the whole "can't have other people see mu printed stuff" deal, but can't one go into a Staples now-a-days and plug in a USB stick or connect up to one's Dropbox account and print things that way?

    Finally for the OP, is AirPrint the deal breaker because there's a lot of printers that don't have that option and to jury rig a non-AirPrint printer to do such will cost you monies and effort as well. I know that in our house that having a multi-function device that is hardwired to our ethernet network, is available via wifi and AirPrint is very, very convenient as we have MAC/Apple devices wireless devices, Samsung wireless devices and hardwired devices - just last night my son used his Microsoft Surface to remotely do a scan of a document he placed in the printer upstairs, set-up and controlled the scanner all via wifi from a different part of the house.
    Last edited by speedog; 10-14-2013 at 08:48 AM.
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    Well, apparently Staples does allow people to do cloud printing from services like Dropbox (link) so then it becomes a matter of cost (having your own printer) versus convenience and time and also cost (having to have to go to Staples).
    Will fuck off, again.

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    Default No staples

    With two kids (5 months old) and 2.5 years, we don't have time to run to staples to do printing. Our printing is usually done last minute and the more last minute it is, the more likely out ink will have run dry.

    AirPrint is one the wife really wants. We have integrated our home office into the middle of a family type room, so we can keep an eye on the kids when on computer (when they get to tht age) and want to have printer in storage room.

    Would like printer ready for AirPrint, not having to rig it up

    Thanks guys for the great debate!

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    Staples' AirPrint capable printers, there's only 5 listed and only 1 that's a laser - http://www.staples.ca/en/All-Printers/cat_CL204147_2-CA_1_20001#fids=['4224938106']&viewDetails='listView' (can't make link work - so cut and paste, eh)
    Last edited by speedog; 10-14-2013 at 11:28 AM.
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    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4356


    google for a good price (memory express is a good one to start at)
    check there for printers that are air print capable
    profit

    first one i saw at memory express and is on the apple list
    SCX-3405FW Wireless Monochrome Multifunction Laser Printer, Copier, Scanner & Fax w/ Ethernet

    often memoryexpress will have cheap printers on sale that are cheaper to buy and replace than getting new toners for them lol

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    FYI for laser owners, toner refill is also a cheap way to go - no need to buy new cartridges every time.

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    OK, don't want to start a whole new thread, so I thought I would ask it here.


    I don't know sweet fuck all about printers, but we want to get one.

    We are looking for something as economical as possible, but in any consumables and the printer itself.

    Having the ability to print over WiFi is a big bonus.
    ability to print pictures and documents

    We will be using it pretty infrequently, Won't be doing any large picture printing.

    having an all-in-one setup would be good as well.

    BTW, no iShit in our household either.
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    I have some wireless epson from bestbuy that I got years ago that still works great. I have been buying ink from 123inkcartridges and it is like $20 for BCYM
    Haven't had any issues with it drying out printing probably once a month.

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    Originally posted by speedog

    At 4 years and $525 ($400 + $125) and let's say an average of 10 pages a week, you'd be looking at a per page printing cost of about 25 cents not including your paper costs.

    OP was concerned about costs and while an inkjet will dry up if not used, 25 cents per page is up there on a per page basis and considering that the only laser that Staples offers with AirPrint puts him close to this per page cost, OP's decision is not easy.

    In either case (laser of inkjet), the printer manufacturers have the consumer over the barrel - the money's not made in the machine but in the ink. In our household with two kids in university, a third in senior high, several businesses to run and also the several non-profit organizations we're actively involved with means a printer gets a lot of use and cost per page becomes on of the major determining factors - ink never goes dry in our home.

    On another train of thought, if one is printing so little is it possible to just do that printing at Staples or some similar service (if they exist)? What exactly is out there in the means of low volume, remote printing? Yeah, I understand the whole "can't have other people see mu printed stuff" deal, but can't one go into a Staples now-a-days and plug in a USB stick or connect up to one's Dropbox account and print things that way?

    Finally for the OP, is AirPrint the deal breaker because there's a lot of printers that don't have that option and to jury rig a non-AirPrint printer to do such will cost you monies and effort as well. I know that in our house that having a multi-function device that is hardwired to our ethernet network, is available via wifi and AirPrint is very, very convenient as we have MAC/Apple devices wireless devices, Samsung wireless devices and hardwired devices - just last night my son used his Microsoft Surface to remotely do a scan of a document he placed in the printer upstairs, set-up and controlled the scanner all via wifi from a different part of the house.
    It's nearing 2014

    At 10 pages a week, 52 weeks a year, over 7 years, that's 3640 pages.

    At $625 for costs (to include paper), you are still only looking at maybe 17 to 18 cents, a page of nearly instant, full quality, high res printing. Everyone has their own priorities, but I'll never go to ink again.
    Last edited by colsankey; 10-14-2013 at 10:50 PM.

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    You guys are talking about colour AIO printers where not only should the cost of printing be considered, but the ability to scan, fax etc. I don't think that is what the OP wants at all. OP, if you want colour, go with the one I suggested. If you want B&W, there is a Samsung for even cheaper.

    http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX38569

    Just my opinion of course, but my thoughts on inkjet are that unless you're doing a lot of photo printing at home, they're too slow, messy and seemed to take forever to warm-up. For the casual user or small home office, these small laser printers (whether AIO or just printing) are at a price-point where it just makes sense. If I want photos printed in a small size like I might consider doing at home, I'll just send them to Costco and pick them up the next day for an extremely reasonable cost.
    Ultracrepidarian

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