Best Brand/Type of printer for plain black ink printing

[imported_Stew]

I'm heading to university next year and need to buy my own printer.

I'm not going to be printing photos, and just want a good document printer.

Which is more economical, laser or ink jet? My budget is ~$100, and I don't want to get raped on ink cartridge purchases.

Is any particular brand cheaper/longer-lasting as far as ink goes?

Thanks for your tips,
Stew

 

[bruceb]

For just general text work, Canon is a fine choice
Look at the stores to see which ones they have
and for what prices ... IP5300 /.IP4200 are not too
bad and ink cost is reasonable

 

[Slick5150]

If you only want black and white I'd say Laser is definitely your best bet. Toner cartridges last into the thousands of pages before needing refills, and you can find deals on B&W lasers in the $50-$70 range.

 

[mechBgon]

Laser is also waterproof. If you only need black-&-white, get laser.

For ~$100, the HP LaserJet 1020 might be worth a look. I had good experiences with a couple of its predecessor, the 1012, where I used to work.

 

[bigsnyder]

Keep mind the cheaper unit, generally the more cost per page. Consider the Brother HL-5240. These are a little above your budget, but
I have seen sales bring this unit almost to the $100 level. The cost per page is excellent, the "starter" cartridge is rated for 3500 pages.
I exceeded that with the Toner Saver enabled.

 

[imported_Stew]

Are either of those Canons laser printers?

 

[bigsnyder]

The Canons are inkjet.

 

[zig3695]

i have a canon ip5200 and i like it BUT, the black cart doesnt like to be refilled, so i must always use the slow "high" setting for it produce text without white lines through it. the problem goes away if i use brand new expensive OEM carts, so take it however you wish. otherwise its a kick-ass printer, fast fast fast!

 

[grohl]

dont know if they make 'em as good as they used to, but my HP 6L is on its 7th or 8th cartridge and it is 9 yrs old. Sure, its a parallel interface and only 6ppm but still works.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Laser is also waterproof. If you only need black-&-white, get laser.

For ~$100, the HP LaserJet 1020 might be worth a look. I had good experiences with a couple of its predecessor, the 1012, where I used to work.

Good suggestion. If I may, though, I think the 1080 is a bit better if you are willing to spend a few $ more. We put out a lot of them recently in work to replace older and larger 1200s and they're doing pretty great.

Originally posted by: grohl
dont know if they make 'em as good as they used to, but my HP 6L is on its 7th or 8th cartridge and it is 9 yrs old. Sure, its a parallel interface and only 6ppm but still works.

They don't make them like they used to, they really don't.