Printers - Inkjet v. Laser

Aishah

I'm looking to buy a small black ink printer. No need for anything fancy,(I've decided against photocopy/fax combination) just something not costly, reliable and not too big - I don't want it overpowering my dining table where I'm set up with the laptop.
Yesterday, viewed an HP laser for 6,000 rupees - too costly, too big. The fellow said laser is definitely better than inkjet - is this true?
I want something easy to maintain, change cartridges whatever, so would appreciate some input here, because my knowledge at the moment is zero re printers!

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brishti

go for a laser aisha.
its a lil more expensive - but worth it.

inkjet - the ink is likely to dry up if not used regularly.
if you need to print daily - an inkjet will suffice.

but a toner cartridge goes a long way. and it dont dry up...
an hp laser we have - one of them machines that works like clockwork! another laser printer you can check out is the konica/minolta.

aftersales i'm beginning to realise, sucks with all of them.

now the big boys of technology can take over from here
over to you bb, nick, zoe...


:brishti

take an e.m.i. but i would recommend a laser... then again - lissen to em big boys

Aishah

Sorry Brishti, I'm not good at initials - what's e.m.i.? Thanks for this, I'm wondering if there are laser models much smaller in size than what I was shown last night?

brishti

easy monthly installment.

hmm size - you have to have a desk someplace, where the printer can be plonked for all times. you can attach your laptop to it whenever required.
i personally do not know of any printer which you can move around as easily as a laptop.

zoe is the hp man here, and then there is bb and bombill. wait for their input!


:brishti

laser laser laser!

machadinha

My very personal take: I have a B/W laser printer that I'm quite happy with. It was costlier in the acquisition I think (apparently not in your case?), and the cartridges are much costlier. This is a pain when you need to renew them of course.

On the upside, those toner cartridges last for much longer so the overall cost is really lower. I find the prints nicer yes. It's also much quicker.

It depends on usage really. I used to need it to print full and lengthy manuscripts, found it faster again and more cost-efficient, worked out cheaper than xeroxing in a bulk shop actually. Printing quite a bit one of those cartridges would last me for a year or two. The printer's been going strong for a decade or so too. It isn't exactly small though. Hard to work with it's not. But then neither would be an inkjet printer; although the ones I know would be easier to break with sensitive parts sticking out and so though. My laser one again is pretty robust by comparison.

In an office environment I'd say go for a laser printer. Consider well if you might not want a color one at some point before you buy. Nice for logos and stuff.

<cross-posted with Brishti: I reckon you'd want no matter what printer in some fixed place yes, then move your portable gear to it if so required. I suppose there may be portable mini models or whatever these days, not so into it (wireless feedback maybe?). I reckon the average piece of paper pretty much determines its size anyway I.e., a batch of A4's & then some for the machine to hold and process it.>

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shahronakm

I am currently using laser printer Samsung ML 1610. It costs around Rs. 4500. Previously I was using inkjet printer HP 640 C. This is for my office use. The difference I have noticed is as follows:-

1] Print out comes very fast in Laser as compared to inkjet.
2] Cost of toner (Laser) is high around Rs. 3000 as compared to cartridge around RS. 1000, but toner does give more no. of pages. Refil cost is also higher for toner.
3] Laser printer would be bigger in size. Ink jets are available in very compact size.
4] Maintenance wise I found both are trouble free.

Ronak.

Nick-H

What Brishti says is true.

Inkjets, really, are nothing more than licences for the the manufacturers to print money as you buy their cartridges.

They do have advantages: in my experience, they are better at printing photographs in colour. I had a colour laserjet at the office that cost as much as a small car; it was still not as good as £100 inkjet at photo stuff.

You just want black. If you can, go for a laser.

As for lasting power, well, the old HP laserjets were almost immortal: built to last! Don't know so much about the new ones. Correction: haven't bought one for five years, so know nothing about the new ones!

<cross-posted>

My Canon inkjet is not maintenance free: I have had to replace the printhead twice, due to dried ink, also its duplex (print-on-both-sides) function has jammed. Otherwise I like it!

Our office laserjets (HP) used to print thousands of pages per cartridge, but those cartridges were in the order of Rs8,000 each.

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ks_bluechip

Hi Aishah ... I have been using a HP-LaserJet 1010 printer for last 1 to 2 years .... I use it as personal printer at home and only B/W ... my print load is quite light (of say 15-20 pages per week maybe ... though on occasions may even print 40-50pgs)... I have found it be extremly sturdy and reliable and working without any problem whatsoever! ... the cartridge also lasts a long time ... it takes up about 15inch X 15inch space on my table with all its flaps open.

Would recommend it to anyone with similar light loads. Don't remember the costs now ... but can find out and post that tomorrow, if required. .... KS

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shahronakm

Well my Samsung ML 1610 prints around 3000 - 4000 pages in toner save mode.

HP 640 C Inkjet lasted for around six years. I would have spent total of Rs. 1000 on it's repairs till that time.

For your use, as majority of them have suggested go for a laser printer.

Ronak.

brishti

[recognition at last!!!]


having done that ... [and with a lil more confidence!]

aisha: in layman's terms...
inkjet - the ink cartridges are cheaper BUT they dry up fast, if not used nearly daily...
laser toner - costs more, dont dry up, and laaasts [ b/w prints on laser are immaculate the typography is sharp]

nick: colour lasers suck - there are no good printers.
then again, you have them colour digital printers... of course owning one is out of the question - but great colour prints.
the cost for these digital colour prints is minimal - for the resolution one gets.

laserprinters are looking more savvy nowadays, not the bulky trunklike thingees they once were.



:brishti

Nick-H

Our colour laser cost over Rs5,00,000! And it sucked

Sama

if you just want to print black, I would go with laser.

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brishti

you should've checked nick - you should've checked. cluck cluck.
colour lasers was/is always no-nooo.

5L phew - whatalotofnavycutsthatcouldbuy



:brishti

brownboy66

Lots of good feeback here. For years IMHO the big difference between the laser and inkjet printers was simply cost and quality. Lasers were far superior (for technical reasons) but they cost a lot to buy and replacement cartridges were expensive as well.

Since then the gap has closed considerably. Laser printers have come down in cost, and inkjets have improved vastly in quality.

In terms of on-going costs - there's a variety of ways to manage it. Most modern inkjets have a draft mode for printing so that you don't use up the ink too quickly (I would go through a cartridge maybe once every 6-8 months)? Also - inkject cartridges tend to be sold more widely then laser cartridges (someone may be able to correct me on that one). Also with some inkjets - you buy separate colour cartridges so that if you use one particular colour a lot - you're not having to replace all of them at the same time.

Bottom line - lasers are better printers and produce a better job, but still tend to be a little more expensive. Inkjets will still do a great job, and will be slightly cheaper - but the on-going costs may be a bit higher.

My suggestion - if you have a photo/graphics requirement and find one that is cheap enough, go for the laser - otherwise an inkject will do just fine.

Nick-H

It was mostly ok: the underwriters insisted in different clauses in different colours. It coped with that ok --- except when it decided the whole job was postscript (it never was, and threw out several thousand sheets with one character on each sheet!

We printed a few computer manuals on it too. Mostly the ones we wanted to take home