Which printer should you buy? Cheap Printer or good printer... sometimes they're the same.
I get a lot of letters asking about this or that printer, or "which printer should I buy?" I've even been known to ask around or consult higher up the 'knowledge' chain to get that information my self. Today's question is about "cheap" printers.
First I'd like to say that although this is in a Mac-centric publication, this discussion could apply to any computer user of any platform. The fact that the word "cheap" was in the original reader's post is because most Mac users seem to want everything for free, or for the very lowest price. This condition seems fairly widespread even though demographics show that on the whole, those who use Macs are in an average higher income bracket. I suspect that most of you now reading this article have no problem throwing away a $65 to $150 printer you don't like, to buy a new one. But let's assume you're on a very limited income, and need a good printer on the cheap.
Let's qualify all printers under $150 into the "cheap" category. Since you can spend as much as $5,000 on a printer, I think one-fifty is a good break point. (There are printers that cost a million dollars, but that's another story.) You can also get printers for as little as free. But remember, you almost always get what you pay for. I got the "free" printer in the bundle deal from Apple when we purchased my daughter's iBook for college. It didn't make it through the first semester.
A $149 Epson 860 has now served well through the following five semesters.
Comparing printers is difficult if not impossible. Each time I go to MacWorld Expo, I always cruise all the printer booths. It's a nightmare. None of the vendors ever have the entire line -- only the models they are currently pushing. They'll also be pushing their higher level machines, not the ones you'll find in the mass merchandisers. When I ask a booth person about the particular features I'm looking for in a printer they'll usually say either "I don't know" or "No, you don't want that, you want this" ... pointing at the $3,000 model they're demonstrating.
Then you arrive at the retail store and ask the same question. They'll usually say "I don't know" or "I have no idea." You'll notice that most of the retail stores are gone now, giving way to the mass merchandisers. Mass merchandisers usually have one thing in common, their floor people know less than you do. (I found myself recently showing the floor clerk how to use one of their displayed printers.) The worst problem with the MMs is they'll get incentive perks from manufacturers. In our local stores it's usually Hewlet Packard. While there's nothing wrong with HP printers, that may not be the brand you wish to purchase. So the clerk is going to sell you an HP no matter what. Some may show only that particular brand.
The only real way to figure out which printer to buy is to try it. Sorry to say that means you either have to buy it or borrow it. One rule I've tried to live by is: Never mail-order a printer unless you've fully tested it first. This is a very hard rule to live by because only the mail-order houses stock the best variety. Buying local however allows you to take the printer back if there are problems. Staples, Office Max and Cruchfield all have a 'no questions' return policy. (In our area at least.) MacWarehouse is the mail-order house, in my experience, with the most consistent and easiest to use return policies. Of course you have to ship it at your expense.
Let's get one thing perfectly clear up front: the manufacturers are low-balling their printer prices not because they like you. They want to sell you the perishables like inks and papers, which are exorbitantly expensive. And don't think for a moment that all the printer manufacturers are in the paper and ink business. There are a few paper and ink manufacturers who private label the products for the printer companies. (There are 147 different paper brands, but only a handful of paper mills. Go figure.)
Likewise, never believe the statistics published by the manufacturers. They test using the most optimum conditions to obtain their data. So you really can't use their paper throughput, ink cartridge life and so forth in your calculations for a purchasing decision. Finally, don't ever believe the printer test page. The companies go to exorbitant measures to make those prints look good; including huge budgets and the best photographers, stylists and designers money can buy. You want your prints to look that good but can't understand why they don't? Well, that's why.
See part two of this article "Printer Tips"
Until next time, happy mousing.
Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher UG Net News
Fred Showker is co-editor of "MUG Info Manager," the User Group Network News service, and a founding Apple User Group Advisory Board (UGAB) member. He was an original founder of the User Group Forum on AppleLink Personal Edition which became America Online in 1988 ... read more
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