Which Budget Portable Printer is Best?

In searching for a budget portable printer, your best bet is to check Amazon.com first. I find that even when you go to a vendor's main online store, you won't find the prices any cheaper. Amazon.com, by far, beat competitors hands down after I have compared prices and capabilities. So what do I need this time? A portable printer that:

-I can easily hook up with my laptop
-doesn't take a lot of space
-is compatible with Windows XP or Vista
-prints black/white and color copies
-inkjet or laser
-wireless (optional)
-whose duty cycle is at least 100 pages/day or 3000 pages/month
-has easy to replace or refill ink or cartridges

I am a really picky shopper, so after so much price comparison online, I finally selected the top three among hundreds of portable printers available in the market today. Here's the breakdown:

Third Choice: Epson Stylus NX115 All-in-One (C11CA46212)

For $39.99 at Amazon.com (same price as the Lexmark), this budget mobile printer also has a scanner. There is a decent amount of raves on this printer, and it fulfilled everything in my wish list, except probably the "wireless" part, which is okay, since it's just optional. Users may complain that the Epson Stylus NX115 All-in-One uses too much ink, and that it doesn't come with the USB cord in the packaging. In other words, you won't be able to set it up as soon as you open the box, since you have to buy a USB cord first (if you don't have one yet). Otherwise, it's a great budget portable printer. For this really nice price and features to boot, it is a good investment. Another thing: although I scoped it out at Amazon.com, you have to buy it from third party vendors such as Circuit City, which means you have to pay for the shipping.

Second Choice: Canon PIXMA MP495 Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One (4499B026)

This affordable mobile printer which I also found at Amazon.com has an amazing array of extra features. For $20 more than the Lexmark or the Epson Stylus, you can have a scanner to boot. I don't intend to print a lot of color photo copies so the terrific resolution is definitely just something extra for me. I really love the fact that Canon has included a photo editing software with this mobile printer. Bloatware during installation process was considered to be this printer's main problem. I would have picked Canon PIXMA as my first choice, (note: it also connects via wi-fi and usb) except that I didn't really need the scanner and won't probably print many photos in color either.

First Choice: Lexmark Wireless Laptop Printer with Added Software (Z2420)

Reviews are great on this printer, almost perfect and received an average of four stars. Priced at merely $39.99 with free shipping (Amazon.com), I can't think of any other budget portable printer that is more excellent. Some people experienced technical difficulties with setup or after the printer has already started working, but even some negative remarks like these were rectified by the fact that Lexmark was prompt with customer service. You can easily access the instructions and downloadable software if in case you are having issues with compatibility. This budget portable printer has fulfilled all the stuff in my wish list. Wireless setup is easy too, what more can I ask? Oh, and just in case, in the unfortunate situation that your Lexmark breaks down, you have a one-year warranty and they will replace the item within the first 90 days.

I didn't think I'd find the perfect printer for my laptop, but with a little bit of research and lots of patience, finding one that fits the bill is not impossible after all.