| Today's choice of computer printers is huge, | | | | print volumes are below average. |
| and competition amongst retailers is fierce. | | | | |
| Discounts of 60-70% from the manufacturers' | | | | High volume or low volume usage? |
| recommended retail price are not uncommon | | | | |
| amongst multifunctional printer devices, and | | | | In the debate about the best route - laser or |
| it is rare not to find at least 25% discounts | | | | inkjet - a major deciding factor is, without |
| amongst print-only devices. So, should we | | | | doubt, the anticipated volume of use. Even |
| consider anything more than the purchase | | | | considering the above examples, discounting |
| price? | | | | would have to be far too heavy in order for |
| | | | any laser printer to match the low overall |
| Without doubt, print speed, brand reputation, | | | | cost of printing available with, say, the HP |
| connectivity to existing equipment and print | | | | Officejet Pro K550. Tests have shown that |
| quality are all part of the mix. But | | | | overall cost of printing on this printer, in |
| budgeting for the total cost of the selected | | | | a high-volume environment, has been shown to |
| printer in terms of the consumables used - | | | | be as low as two pence per page taking into |
| this is the real challenge for buyers. This | | | | account a purchase price that is well below |
| is the area where the manufacturers and | | | | �100. |
| distributors are battling for the income | | | | |
| streams from consumables - inks, toner | | | | Conversely, users with low volume needs might |
| cartridges, print media, replacement parts | | | | aim to avoid replacing the more expensive |
| and the like. Here the discounts are less | | | | laser parts. Some might hope not even to need |
| obvious, and for good reason. The onus is | | | | to replenish the colour toners. |
| squarely on the buyer to consider these | | | | |
| costs, and to ensure they are not buying into | | | | At the level of 250 pages per month, for |
| an expensive cost of ownership. | | | | example, a user will print 9,000 pages over |
| | | | three years. Calculating at at black-only to |
| So, rather than going with the brand and the | | | | colour page ratio of 70%/30% (in favour of |
| technology they are used to, and looking for | | | | black-only), then only 2,700 of those pages |
| the biggest purchase price discount, what do | | | | will be colour. |
| buyers have to gain by doing their research? | | | | |
| The answer, of course, is a great deal. | | | | At this level, many laser printers will need |
| | | | a toner change during the life - or the |
| Inkjet or Laser Printer? | | | | capital cost write-off period - of the |
| | | | printer. But it is not impossible to find a |
| First off, the mantra from IT departments is | | | | low-end entry-level laser printer with a |
| often fixed in stone, that laser printers | | | | 2,000-page starter toner capacity so that for |
| should always be specified as the more | | | | such users there is no need for a colour |
| "professional" choice for any organisation. | | | | toner change within three years. |
| But for small groups, inkjet provides a | | | | |
| perfectly professional print quality, and | | | | Other factors affecting colour printer choice |
| would suit small networked teams, not least | | | | |
| because of the quiet operation compared with | | | | Colour is desirable of course, when working |
| some extremely noisy laser systems in | | | | with presentation materials. But a large |
| operation. | | | | proportion of printing can still usefully |
| | | | involve only monochrome output. How much |
| On the other hand, in terms of purchase price | | | | colour is used will always be a factor in |
| alone, the cost of entry-level colour laser | | | | costs. Discipline is needed to ensure correct |
| has also made laser very attractive to | | | | printer settings for the task in hand. |
| corporations, so that they can follow the | | | | Discipline is also needed, of course, for |
| advice of their IT departments, upgrade | | | | test printing, where draft settings are |
| monochrome laser to colour and then absorb | | | | important to ensure no unnecessary, |
| the supplies and consumables costs in their | | | | cumulative wastage. |
| departmental stationery budgets. | | | | |
| | | | With the choice in technologies, and with the |
| But in another scenario, price discounting | | | | choice in entry-level pricing inkjets, |
| has also brought the colour laser printer | | | | against high specification or workhorse |
| within reach of the home-office worker, or | | | | lasers, and against the additional |
| sole trader company, where the "mantra" | | | | complexities of multifunctional printers, it |
| factor tempts buyers away from inkjet simply | | | | pays to think hard about the actual tasks to |
| through the belief that laser provides better | | | | which a new printer is to address and the |
| print quality at faster print speeds. Here, | | | | number of users it is to serve. This is the |
| it is quite possible that low page counts and | | | | starting point for an understanding of the |
| colour content would not justify the higher | | | | actual costs of owning the printer over its |
| cost of many laser printers currently | | | | lifetime in the workplace. |
| available. | | | | |
| | | | Jimi St. Pierre writes for several Office |
| On the other hand again, by looking amongst | | | | Equipment suppliers and Travel Companies in |
| the best discounted prices, colour laser | | | | the UK, including wide format printer |
| printers in the Canon range can be found at a | | | | supplier Officemagic and Country Connect , |
| very similar prices to Hewlett-Packard | | | | the latter being a publisher of a daily news |
| business inkjet machines, and as we shall | | | | feed to the UK travel industry via the Virgin |
| see, can offer laser technology at a | | | | Media Traveleye extranet. |
| competitive overall Cost of Printing, when | | | | |