Tool of the Month

Printers: The Right One For Your Needs

In this first of a two-week series, we’re going to give you the scoop
on laser printers, how to buy one, what to look for, and why HP is over-charging
you. When shopping for a laser printer, your first criteria is obviously
price. Generally, a $700 laser printer will always perform better and/or
include more features than a $300 model, so you’ll want to ensure you
purchase the most feature/performance-packed printer you can afford. How
do you tell what you need? Here’s a cheatsheet:

• "Pages Per Minute, or ppm " — Print Speed: Unlike inkjet printers, the ppm rating of laser printers is usually
  accurate to within 10% of what you get in the real-world. For a home-based
  business where only one or two people print, a printer that ranges from
  20ppm-25ppm will do the job. For small businesses of 5 to 20 employees,
  look for a model in the 35ppm range. Those with more than 20 employees
  all using the same printer should opt for a model that exceeds 45ppm.
• "First Page Out, or fpo " — Time Needed for Printer
  to Awake and Print: This is an underrated factor that is very
  important only if the printer is not under constant use. If it is, you
  can ignore this criteria because yours will always be in "awake"
  mode. However, if you print less frequently, your printer will go to
  "sleep" and will need to awake when the next print command
  comes along. This spec indicates the amount of time the printer needs
  to wake up from sleep mode and make a printout.
• "Print Resolution, or dpi " — Image Sharpness Quality: On laser printers, a low dpi rating will still produce text that is
  superior to almost any inkjet printer because of the way laser technology
  works. Having said that, if plan on using your laser printer solely
  for text printing or for graphics where superior quality if not necessary,
  even the lowest dpi rated lasers, typically 600dpi, will more than suffice.
  If you are planning on printing graphics that need to look professional,
  go for 1200dpi or better.
• Networking, Duplexing, Trays, & Finishers — Add-Ons: Extras are usually identified in a printer’s model name by adding a
  "d", "n", etc. to the end. A network-capable printer
  is essential for a company with more than one person printing to the
  same unit. Just connect it to your network and anybody on the network
  can print to that printer. Duplexing is the ability for a printer to
  print to both sides of a page automatically. A "t" designation
  generally means the printer includes an additional paper tray for high-demand
  needs. A "finisher" adds capabilities like auto-stapling,
  folding, and/or, sorting. So for example, the Lexmark
  C920dtn includes duplexing, network-capability, and an extra tray.
  If it was called the C920dtnf, it would also include a finisher.

Both HP and Lexmark, among others use the designations at the end of
a model name to indicate its add-on capabilities. But how do Lexmark and
HP differ? Mainly in price, and by a large margin. Take for example the HP
4600n color laser printer. At $1564 it includes 17ppm color/black,
600dpi resolution, a 400MHz CPU, and 96MB memory. But look a Lexmark’s
competing printer, the C762n,
and you get 25ppm color/black, 1200dpi resolution, a 600MHz CPU, and 128MB
memory…for over $200 less (priced at $1339)! We don’t play favorites
here, we just tell it like it is.