Five Inexpensive Printers for Your Exact Needs

One might think that this was an easy topic to write about; just go out find five printers that do not cost too much, and you are done. I had the same thought going into this article, but I was wrong in having that thought about this article. I think that the biggest issue was how do I pick? How do I decide which printer to talk about and suggest in that respect as a printer that is of good value for the cost. This is where the dilemma started because there are just so many good printers out there for everyone to choose from all depending on their specific needs.

Being that there are so many great printers, I broke my recommendations into five categories. Whether you are a home user or a small business, I think I have a category that will be a good fit for you and your needs. The categories are as follows:

• Color inkjet / Photo Printer

• Black & White Laser

• Black & White Laser - Wireless Network

• Color Laser

• Black & White Multi-Function Unit

If you are looking for a good color inkjet / photo printer then you might want to start with the HP Deskjet 6940. This unit is compact, sleek, and stylish. What drew me to this printer over most of the other inkjet's was two main items. First, it has 32MB installed, and second, this unit can be connected via either USB or RJ-45 (network) so if you want a good color printer for sharing on your network this unit offers that capability. I found this printer's price was $99.99.

This unit also offers the following features:

• 1200x1200dpi

• 150 sheet input tray

• Borderless printing up to 8.5 x 24 inch

• Bluetooth Wireless Printing

• Windows 7 Ready

• 5000 Page Monthly duty cycle. (meaning this unit it made to work hard each month)

Next, I went looking at Black and White laser printers and after much research; I would recommend the Brother HL-2140 Monochrome Laser Printer. What stood out to me with this printer was the printing resolution for the price. This printer will print at 2400x600 dpi with a speed of 23 PPM (Pages per Minute). This unit is Windows, Mac & Linux ready with 8 MB of installed Ram and will connect to your computer via USB. With a price tag of $115.00 this printer is quite affordable for a laser printer. This unit also has the following features:

• 2400x600 DPI

• 250 sheet input tray

• Maximum 10,000 page Monthly Duty Cycle

Being a small business what is important to me when printing is that the printer is accessible via the network for all computers to use. When looking for a good network printer I found the Brother HL-2170W Mono Wireless Laser Printer. With a price of $149.99, I found this printer to be a great addition to the network. The printer has a small footprint (15" x 15") allowing this unit to fit nicely on most desks. I was most impressed with the ability to connect via network cable (RJ-45) or via wirelessly to your network. Making this printer available to all wireless devices and allowing you to place this printer, anywhere there is an electrical outlet without having to worry about network connectivity. The other features that help this unit stand out are:

• 2400x600 dpi

• 32 MB installed Ram

• Prints up to legal size

• 23 PPM

• 250 sheet Paper Input Tray

• 10,000 Page Monthly Duty Cycle

• Network Connectivity via both wired and wireless (802.11 b/g) - Sorry not 802.11n ready, but fortunately most 802.11n devices will work with 802.11g items.

Are you looking for a nice color laser printer to fit your budget? You will want to look at the Okidata C3400n Color LED Printer. With a price tag of $180.00, this printer can fit into almost any budget, and this unit will produce the color brochures, reports and other documents that you need to help promote your business, organization, charity, etc. This printer is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh systems, allowing almost anyone to connect and make use of this office resource. Here are the features that made this unit stand out above the others for this category:

• 1200 x 600 dpi (above the competition of 600 x600 dpi)

• 32 MB ram, upgradable to 288MB

• Up to Banner printing (8.5 x 47.2 inches)

• 250 sheet paper input tray

• 16 PPM

• 35,000 Monthly Duty Cycle

• Network connectivity via RJ-45 connector

My final category for this article is the Multi-Function device in which I found the features of the Samsung SCX-4826FN Monochrome Laser MFC appealing to either a home user or a business office. This unit will allow you to copy, fax, and print and scan your documents. This multi-function device is the end-all unit to your paper woes. It can print at 1200x1200dpi and scan at the enhanced rate of 4800x4800 dpi (1200x1200 is the normal). Scanning allows you to send the file to your PC, Email or a USB device. The price for this unit is around $229.00, which is a steal when you think about how many devices this removes from your desk. Here are the other features that will interest you:

• Prints at 1200x1200 dpi

• Scans at 1200x1200, enhanced through software at 4800x4800

• Duplex printing built in

• Fax via a 33.6 kbps fax

• 250 sheet input paper tray

• 128 MB Ram, upgradable to 256

• 50,000 page monthly duty cycle

• Connects to your network via RJ-45 (most other multi-functions connected via USB port only)

Depending on your needs, I am sure that one of the printers above will serve your needs. Again, it was hard to choose just on printer from each category. In each category, I found a number of printers in about the same price range as the ones listed above that would also meet your needs. I choose the ones above because they offered a little more than their closest competition, usually networking options or better printing resolution.