There is a lot of discussion these days about printers and the cost of ink and toner.
Some ink-jet printers approach a dollar a page when printing in color in large sizes, so the cost of ink is a significant factor when picking out a printer.
This is the time when many parents are picking out a printer for college students, so the first factor is the cost per page. Most reviews on large websites like PCworld.com will calculate the cost per page for you before you buy.
Does your student (or home office or whatever) need scanning and fax capability? If not, you want to get a personal color laser printer and not an all-in-one ink-jet printer.
You will find various review sites, but if this is for a dorm, you want to consider the overall size, too. Some come with wireless capability, which is nice so you can print from anywhere in the room — assuming your child has a router.
(If your child has a color laser at school, he or she quickly will become the most popular child in the dorm, so try to set some guidelines or you will be shipping $180 toners to school every few weeks.)
If he or she needs an all-in-one unit (including a scanner/copier), then your choices get reduced. Most of these are ink-jets and that means smaller ink containers and usually higher per-page cost. Get a good brand with a good warranty (not extended warranty)
I get many questions about off-brand toners, refilled toners and remanufactured toners. After the warranty on your unit expires, check in to the cost of these vs. the cost of new. If there is a significant difference, then try one. See how long they last vs. the name brand. Look at the quality on the page. If you buy them locally, you can have some support.
For significant cost savings, head to eBay and try some toners made in bulk. You will save big money, but be careful of some common scams. Some sellers will buy printers just to get the “starter” toners out of them and then seal up and resell the printers. They then will sell the toners as “genuine name-brand toners,” but won’t tell you these are “starter” toners that will only last a fraction of the time of normal toners.
When you find a good deal, get one and try it. If it works well for you, keep using that retailer so you have a common source. You often can find sealed name-brand units as well if you are careful by checking the seller’s feedback rating. If you do, you can stock up on those and save some money. If they are out of date by a few years, don’t worry. Ink really does not go bad in a few years.
Do some homework before you buy, as you can save significant money in the long-term.
