Printer recommendation please

[Robert Bonomi]

RW <rwmaillists at googlemail.com> wrote:
> Mike Jeays wrote:
>
> > I strongly recommend a laser printer over an inkjet even for home
> > use. The reduced running costs and better reliability are easily
> > worth the lack of colour, IMO. 
>
> How do they compare for light and  occasional use? I'm thinking in
> terms of a few pages, a few times a year, so presumably the
> consumables become perishables.

Laser 'consumables' do _not_ suffer problems if the printer is only used
occasionally.  This is, in fact, one of the *BIG* advantaes of lasers 
over inkpee units.  The 'cost per page' of output, at the rated pagecount
is substantially lower for lasers, *AND* you will get the rated pagecount,
even if it takes a decade, or longer.

I've got a low-end laser I bought, *used*, over a decade ago.  I have
-yet- to replace the _used_ toner cartridge that came with the printer.
Print quality is still as good as when I got it.

My 'total cost of ownership' is, so far, around $3/year, and _declining_. 
Or, under two cents per page, _including_ the cost of the hardware.

With inkpee printers you have to print a some pages every couple of weeks
(preferably somewhat more often) or you run a _high_ probability of the
cartridge having gotten 'gummed up', and rendered unusable, *despite* the
amount of ink remaining in it.   In 'lightly used' units, this can result
in a _tripling_ (or more) of the (already high) 'true cost' per page of 
output.