Computer Printer - recommendation required

[scottycelt]

What in the name of sense is a 'part-time teenager'?

Like any other sort of part-timer I suppose, Ams dearie ... you know the sort of thing ... one who is in employment only part of the working week ...it can happen to older folk too, you know, which is why they are often referred to by some, even on the BBC, as 'part-time adults' .. get the idea now?

[scottycelt]

Thanks everyone for your kind assistance. I have ordered a HP F4500 as used by scottycelt.

I wonder scottycelt if you can tell me where you get your printer cartridges from?

I buy them from Amazon, Stanford ... you can get two types, one standard and the other long-lasting XL type. While inkjet cartridges are never cheap these do last a considerable time, I've found, and Amazon are always good value.

Best of luck with your new purchase ...

[MrGongGong]

I gave up on my Epson printer, far to prone to ink drying out if I went away for a few weeks

Now I'm using a Canon iP4500 which allows me to do on body CD/DVD printing as well as photo quality etc
ink is always an issue and some of the cheaper "generic" cartridges are a waste of money
one advantage of this type of printer is that it uses 5 ink cartridges (2 Black ones ) which stops you throwing away lots of ink if you have used one colour more than the others.

The Canon interface is also really easy to use

[Dave2002]

Thanks everyone for your kind assistance. I have ordered a HP F4500 as used by scottycelt.

I wonder scottycelt if you can tell me where you get your printer cartridges from?

Good luck with that one. I don't know the model well enough. Could be what you need, though seems to function as a scanner etc. as well - I thought you wanted a basic model.

I have several printers, Epson - rarely used now, an HP and a Canon. The HP is wireless, and was a devil to set up. For the first 3-4 months it hardly worked properly at all, but eventually HP did a software upgrade, and since then it's been fine mostly. The Canon is really good as it has separate ink cartridges for all the inks - 2 blacks and 5 (maybe 6) colours I think. The great thing about the ink cartridges is that you can see through them, so it's possible to check when the ink has run out. Some of the other makes basically lie that the ink has run out, so you can sometimes get a further 100 or so sheets out if you ignore the requests to insert a new cartridge - but then printing will stop without warning. At least with the Canon you can check whether there is any ink left.

The other good thing about the Canon is that it can scan and save direct to a USB memory stick. Both the Canon and the HP can make copies. On the other hand, the Epson is now older, and was a cheappie, and runs directly off a computer. Replacement non-original cartridges are very cheap, but don't hold too much ink.

It seems you didn't need wireless functionality, which can be either a blessing or a pain. Ah - I forgot - I do have another new HP printer, which has wireless connectivity, and which should be able to print directly from an iPad. It's still in its box! Some people may want direct from iPhone or direct from iPad printing, so would need a compatible printer.

Re HP cartridges, I find that looking online, or directly at Amazon usually locates good deals. Check also whether your printer will take the jumbo sized cartridges. My HP printer takes standard cartridges, but also 3x or 5x cartridges with 3 (colour) or 5 (black) times as much ink. They usually cost about 1 1/2 to 2 times a standard cartridge, but overall they are much cheaper.

[Serial_Apologist]

My new Canon mp270 came from Tescos and works perfectly so far. Replacing the cartridges will cost more than an entirely new printer of this model, so.........

[MrGongGong]

Computer printers are a classic example of a non-sustainable technology that is being sold far too cheaply
if one shops around a bit one can find affordable cartridges and I would definitely go for a multiple cartridge model, it seems wrong to throw away usable ink !
Sooner or later the people in the countries where these things are made will also want to have TVs, Cars, Laptops and a higher standard of living so the give away prices that we now have wont last !

[Ariosto]

The printer manufacturers can afford to sell printers at a loss because they know if someone spends £25 on a printer they will spend another £200+ on cartrides in the next year, and the next year, etc.

Black laser jet toner bought from a generic source at about £25 is the cheapest way to go and I find they last for over a year.

[MrGongGong]

Indeed
It's like buying a car and not expecting to maybe spend more on petrol and servicing than the cost of the car in the first place

[amateur51]

The printer manufacturers can afford to sell printers at a loss because they know if someone spends £25 on a printer they will spend another £200+ on cartrides in the next year, and the next year, etc.

Black laser jet toner bought from a generic source at about £25 is the cheapest way to go and I find they last for over a year.

Do you put them in the printer, Ariosto or just leave them unwrapped on the shelf? I find they last much longer that way

[Anna]

Of course, to save printer ink it's best to email documents to yourself at work and print them out there!!

[EdgeleyRob]

Of course, to save printer ink it's best to email documents to yourself at work and print them out there!!

[MrGongGong]

Is "work" a place ?
strange

[Ventilhorn]

Computer printers are a classic example of a non-sustainable technology that is being sold far too cheaply
if one shops around a bit one can find affordable cartridges and I would definitely go for a multiple cartridge model, it seems wrong to throw away usable ink !
Sooner or later the people in the countries where these things are made will also want to have TVs, Cars, Laptops and a higher standard of living so the give away prices that we now have wont last !

It very much depends on what you wish to use your printer for.

If you already have a scanner, you don't need a printer scanner.
If you mainlyy use it to print out letters and documents, a BW and colour cartridge for the occasional red/blue text is all you need.
But if you are deeply into photography and home processing, as I have been since the age of 14, you need a photo quality printer, with 5 colour cartridges plus black. Buying the complete set at a time from HP affords a considerable price reduction from buying single and I also get 150 phot quality 6 x 4 prints included.
I have a HP Photosmart printer and I would defy anyone to know that prints are not of the quality and definition equal to any exclusive and expensive processing house.

I use Staples for all my computer requirewments because they are nearby, have a decent sized free car park and give excellent service for all my computing and office stationery needs.

Buying on Ebay is a risk. You can't always take it back into the shop and even a full refund for defective goods still costs you postage.

Go where you can talk personally to the vendor for help and advice and actually see what you are paying out good money for before commiting yourself.

Lecture over. Good luck with your hunt!

VH

[Chris Newman]

Like most of you I have found the Cartridges more expensive than the actual Copiers. My old HP died about two years ago and I avidly read Which magazines and other reviews at my library. I also asked around amongst friends and offices I use. In the end I settled for a Canon PIXMA 540 which I got as an offer, I think for about £45. Put in photographic paper and it turns up trumps. Otherwise I do a couple of handfuls of copies a week which prevents the cartridges drying up. It does need 5 ink cartridges...why two black ones? I use WHSmith's own version of the real thing which are almost half the price of Canon. Then using the buy two get one free offer I knock them down a bit more. Kodak use by far the cheapest cartridges on the market but there are sad stories about breakdowns and warranties.

[Don Petter]

I use Staples for all my computer requirements because they are nearby, have a decent sized free car park and give excellent service for all my computing and office stationery needs.

Buying on Ebay is a risk. You can't always take it back into the shop and even a full refund for defective goods still costs you postage.

Well, to each as he finds.

I agree with you about only using the maker's cartridges rather than any 'compatible' ones. But I've bought more than 1000 items from eBay in the last five years and not had any problem with an item yet. My method for cartridges, as outlined in #4, is to only bid on sealed packs, and I also find that even ones showing an out of date stamp still work perfectly in the case of HP, as they are sealed in foil.

As an example, I have just today won a black HP cartridge for the princely sum of £3.74, which includes £1.50 postage. The same item in Staples costs £24.99, and they would charge another £3.48 to send it to me. No contest!

The last two colour ones I bought cost me £9.00 and £5.40 - Staples price is £53.99 each.