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The inevitable has finally happened – my workhorse Hewlett-Packard LaserJet
4 has bit the dust, and it's time to get a new printer. Although inkjet
printers rule the roost these days, laser printers have come dramatically
down in price the last several years, so that they're an affordable
alternative to inkjets – even to color inkjets. They have the added benefit
of better output and faster speed. Their toner cartridges last longer, and
are more affordable overall, than most inkjet ink. Additionally, some lasers
can be connected directly to a home network of small office network. But how
to get the best laser at the best price? Let me help.
If you think that color laser printers need to be high-priced, think again —
you'll be amazed at how reasonable they've gotten in the last several years.
As proof, try the bargain-priced HP LaserJet 1500L for as low as $149.00. And the price is even lower than that — there's a $50 rebate
available until September 25. It offers 600 dpi resolution, a 150 Mhz
processor, and prints color pages at four pages per minute and
black-and-white pages at 16 pages per minute.
Anyone looking for a color laser printer for a home office or small office,
and who needs high-quality color output, should look at the Konica Minolta
magicolor 2300 DL for as low as . This one carries a rebate as well, so your price will be
lower. Buy before September 30, and you get a $100 rebate. The printer
features astonishingly high-quality color at 2400 dpi. Despite that high
quality, it still prints at a good clip, four pages per minute for color,
and 16 pages per minute for black and white. It's ideal for offices, because
in addition to parallel and USB connections, it has an Ethernet connection
so that you can connect it directly to your network. It'll also handle any
print job you can throw at it, including envelopes, labels, and
transparencies.
If photo quality is a must for you, get the Konica Minolta magicolor 2300's
big brother, the Konica Minolta magicolor 2350 EN for as low as . Like its smaller brother, it also has a $100 rebate. The
color quality on this is spectacularly photorealistic at 9600 dpi. It also
includes Ethernet, USB and parallel connections, and will handle a wide
variety of printing jobs. Printing speed is four pages a minute for color
and 18 pages per minute for black and white.
Not everyone needs color printing, of course, and if you're looking for a
black-and-white laser printer, you'll find surprisingly low prices. Consider
the Lexmark E321 for as low as $109.00. It's even lower than that, considering its $5 rebate. For
that low price, though, you won't give up speed or quality, because it
prints 600 dpi pages at twenty pages per minute. It handles envelopes,
labels, and transparencies in addition to normal paper.
If you're willing to spend more, get the most popular black-and-white laser
of all on PriceGrabber, the HP LaserJet 1012 for as low as $109.99. It prints at 600 dpi at 15 pages per minute, and weighs a
svelte 13 pounds. Considering that most lasers weigh in at 50 pounds or
more, this is a big space saver. It'll print card stock, envelopes, labels,
and transparencies in addition to regular paper. PriceGrabber customers are
particularly enamored with it. Here are a few typical comments: "Fast, built
solid, prints crisp text, and is energy-efficient;" "Compact, quick, and
sharp. Priority tray is great."
Finally, if you're looking for a reasonably priced black-and-white laser
that's ideal for small networks, check out the Brother HL-5170DN for as low as . It includes Ethernet and AppleTalk connections in addition
to USB and parallel connections, prints at 2400 dpi, and at a zippy 21 pages
per minute. In addition to normal paper, it prints envelopes, labels, and
transparencies. It also comes with a 250-sheet paper tray and a 50-sheet
multi-purpose tray.
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