Best-value in personal laser printers: which model?

[Ajanta]

I would like to purchase a personal laser printer for my mac (running
osx). Features:

1. B&W
2. Should print standard paper sizes (envelopes wpuld be plus but not
essential).
3. Small footprint.
4. Quiet trouble-free service.
5. Speed less important than print quality and above factors.

Usually I don't mind and have been lucky with buying used, but printers
have moving parts and I'd prefer to pay a little extra for new/refurb
unit with manufacturer's warranty. Can be a current model or a recently
discontinued one.

With all of that, which brand and which model would you recommend?

6. Finally, while fantasizing about my new set up, please recommend a
color laser as well. I may not be able to afford it but would like to
consider for a few minutes.

All opinions appreciated.

 

[nosredna]

I would like to purchase a personal laser printer for my mac (running
osx). Features:

1. B&W
2. Should print standard paper sizes (envelopes wpuld be plus but not
essential).
3. Small footprint.
4. Quiet trouble-free service.
5. Speed less important than print quality and above factors.

Usually I don't mind and have been lucky with buying used, but printers
have moving parts and I'd prefer to pay a little extra for new/refurb
unit with manufacturer's warranty. Can be a current model or a recently
discontinued one.

With all of that, which brand and which model would you recommend?

6. Finally, while fantasizing about my new set up, please recommend a
color laser as well. I may not be able to afford it but would like to
consider for a few minutes.

All opinions appreciated.

I love my HP LaserJet 2420. A friend of mine has (slightly smaller and
cheaper) HP LJ 1320. He loves it too. Another friend has a Minolta color
laser (don't remember the model #) that he raves about.

 

[John Rethorst]

I would like to purchase a personal laser printer for my mac (running
osx). Features:

[/QUOTE]

Consumer Reports had a feature article on inexpensive laser printers a couple of
months ago.

 

[Tony]

I love my HP LaserJet 2420. A friend of mine has (slightly smaller and
cheaper) HP LJ 1320. He loves it too. Another friend has a Minolta color
laser (don't remember the model #) that he raves about.

Both are good printers but the 1320 does not easily network, if you are not
networking the printer it is OK.
Tony

 

[Maarten Carels]

Both are good printers but the 1320 does not easily network, if you are not
networking the printer it is OK.

Then look for the 1320N (N for network).

--maarten

 

[Mark]

I would like to purchase a personal laser printer for my mac (running
osx). Features:

1. B&W
2. Should print standard paper sizes (envelopes wpuld be plus but not
essential).
3. Small footprint.
4. Quiet trouble-free service.
5. Speed less important than print quality and above factors.

Usually I don't mind and have been lucky with buying used, but printers
have moving parts and I'd prefer to pay a little extra for new/refurb
unit with manufacturer's warranty. Can be a current model or a recently
discontinued one.

With all of that, which brand and which model would you recommend?

6. Finally, while fantasizing about my new set up, please recommend a
color laser as well. I may not be able to afford it but would like to
consider for a few minutes.

All opinions appreciated.

I swear by the Brother line. I have people abuse them everyday and they
just keep chugging along. The HL-1440 had some problems with faulty drums
(I replaced 3 out about 25 before the first cartridge was used). I am
buying the HL-5150 now (I have about 15), a little more money, but I needed
a non-GDI printer.

Hope this helps

Mark

 

[Ajanta]

I swear by the Brother line. I have people abuse them everyday and they
just keep chugging along. The HL-1440 had some problems with faulty drums
(I replaced 3 out about 25 before the first cartridge was used). I am
buying the HL-5150 now (I have about 15), a little more money, but I needed
a non-GDI printer.

What is GDI? Would it be a consideration in printing from a mac?

 

[Lawrance Allen Schneider]

What is GDI? Would it be a consideration in printing from a mac?

If speed is not important, go with an old HP 5M. Trouble free, true
Postscript, good looking print and most important for non-business use,
cheap.

Larry

 

[Jim]

Looks like you have enough recommendations for BW. Here is mine for
Color: Konica-Minolta Magicolor 2400W. I've had mine for a couple months
now and I love it. You can get it from www.laserquipt.com for $380 post
paid with a $100 rebate until Oct 31st. Your final cost: $280 post paid.
It got a real good write-up from many magazines and was a PC Magazine
Editor's choice. Supplies might look expensive but they last a long time
and are reasonable from the same dealer.
JFK

 

[me]

Looks like you have enough recommendations for BW. Here is mine for
Color: Konica-Minolta Magicolor 2400W. I've had mine for a couple
months now and I love it. You can get it from www.laserquipt.com for
$380 post paid with a $100 rebate until Oct 31st. Your final cost: $280
post paid.
It got a real good write-up from many magazines and was a PC Magazine
Editor's choice. Supplies might look expensive but they last a long
time and are reasonable from the same dealer.

It depends on how much printing you are doing, if its only a couple of
thousand pages a year something like that will be a good choice. If its
a few thousand a month, get a more expensive printer with cheaper
running costs.

 

[Gary Tait]

What is GDI? Would it be a consideration in printing from a mac?

GDI means a portiton of the page rendering is done on the PC, which means
that part of the driver has a bit of a program that runs on your computer,
which uses some system resources, interacts more closely with the printer
(meaning it likely cannot be networked), and most of all, the drive is only
available mor major "closed" OSes. I would look into if there os OSX
compatibility, or look for a non GDI printer.

 

[Mark]

GDI means a portiton of the page rendering is done on the PC, which means
that part of the driver has a bit of a program that runs on your computer,
which uses some system resources, interacts more closely with the printer
(meaning it likely cannot be networked), and most of all, the drive is
only
available mor major "closed" OSes. I would look into if there os OSX
compatibility, or look for a non GDI printer.

GDI is Windows only. GDI is the graphics engine inside of Windows. It's
used to put information on the screen. The driver just diverts this stream
to the printer.

 

[RobertB.]

I swear by the Brother line. I have people abuse them everyday and they
just keep chugging along. The HL-1440 had some problems with faulty drums
(I replaced 3 out about 25 before the first cartridge was used). I am
buying the HL-5150 now (I have about 15), a little more money, but I needed
a non-GDI printer.

Do they play well with OS X? Networkable? I've always used HP LaserJets
and have been happy with the ones I've owned. They last quite a while --
at least they have until now. Not too sure about the reliability of the
newer models. But I'd consider buying one.

robert

 

[Tony]

Then look for the 1320N (N for network).

--maarten

Big difference in price for the 1320n, most non *n* printers network well
peer-to-peer. The 1320 is difficult to network peer-to-peer or through a print
server, much like the 1020/1022 series, at least in my experience. This is not
a criticism of the printer, just a reflection of it's place in the market.
Tony

 

[Mark]

[snip]

Do they play well with OS X? Networkable? I've always used HP LaserJets
and have been happy with the ones I've owned. They last quite a while --
at least they have until now. Not too sure about the reliability of the
newer models. But I'd consider buying one.

robert

Never needed MAC compatibility, but since I can dump ASCII text straight to
it, I don't forsee any problems. And when I wanted a network printer, I
bought something a lot more robust, this thread was about inexpensive
personal lasers.

Mark

 

[Ajanta]

Thanks for all the replies in this thread so far. Found May issue of
Consumer Reports too but it is dominated by ink-jets, mentions only 3
laser models.

The same is true of stores near me like Best Buy and Circuit City: very
few lasers. Is there a store with particularly good selection of laser
printers? Of course there is tons of useful info online but pictures
don't tell me if the machine feels solidly built or cheap plastic-ish.

I am in Chicago area, just in case there are good local stores besides
national chains.

Requirements:

1. Mac compatible, home use, color or B&W (means I want color but if
good models are unaffordable, will settle for B&W).

2. Small footprint, quiet, trouble-free service. Speed less important
than print quality and these factors.

 

[Todd H.]

Thanks for all the replies in this thread so far. Found May issue of
Consumer Reports too but it is dominated by ink-jets, mentions only 3
laser models.

The same is true of stores near me like Best Buy and Circuit City: very
few lasers. Is there a store with particularly good selection of laser
printers? Of course there is tons of useful info online but pictures
don't tell me if the machine feels solidly built or cheap plastic-ish.

I am in Chicago area, just in case there are good local stores besides
national chains.

Requirements:

1. Mac compatible, home use, color or B&W (means I want color but if
good models are unaffordable, will settle for B&W).

2. Small footprint, quiet, trouble-free service. Speed less important
than print quality and these factors.

CDW / MacWarehouse is local to Chicago. Check out their stuff online
at cdw.com and their showroom up north.

 

[Cydrome Leader]

CDW / MacWarehouse is local to Chicago. Check out their stuff online
at cdw.com and their showroom up north.

I second CDW, remember you can negotiate all prices if you call them up.

 

[Ajanta]

I know CDW has a showroom downtown. Is there one in western or
northwest suburbs too? I have to go to Elk Grove Village and Oak Brook
tomorrow, with some time to kill in the middle of the day, and a
location in that area would be great.

(I expected to find a "store locator" type link at their site and also
tried google but no luck so far.)

I second CDW, remember you can negotiate all prices if you
call them up.

Do you mean one can negotiate on theh phone but not in the store?

 

[Geoff Gass]

I know CDW has a showroom downtown. Is there one in western or
northwest suburbs too? I have to go to Elk Grove Village and Oak Brook
tomorrow, with some time to kill in the middle of the day, and a
location in that area would be great.

(I expected to find a "store locator" type link at their site and also
tried google but no luck so far.)

They don't have any stores. The showroom at Grand/Franklin closed in
the Spring. The only option for pickup now is the showroom at their HQ
in Vernon Hills, on Milwaukee between Half Day and Town Line.