From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Mar 31 04:47:22 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F2B79106564A for ; Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:47:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com) Received: from mail.r-bonomi.com (mx-out.r-bonomi.com [204.87.227.120]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B1A7E8FC08 for ; Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:47:22 +0000 (UTC) Received: (from bonomi@localhost) by mail.r-bonomi.com (8.14.4/rdb1) id q2V4jubs002469; Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:45:56 -0500 (CDT) Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:45:56 -0500 (CDT) From: Robert Bonomi Message-Id: <201203310445.q2V4jubs002469@mail.r-bonomi.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, rwmaillists@googlemail.com In-Reply-To: <20120330233241.6f89eb89@gumby.homeunix.com> Cc: Subject: Re: Printer recommendation please X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:47:23 -0000 RW 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.