> Yes, I do need a fax. Space is also a consideration; I'm in an apartment
> and sitting here with 3 printers scattered around, none of which works.
> Scanning first to fax seems a bit of a hassle, but maybe not too bad.
Why
> do you suggest I have both an inkjet and a laser, or am I
misunderstanding
> you? I guess being able to print photos would be nice but my main
need is
> simply to print documents, occasionally do significant amount of copying
> (though probably not much more than 500 pages a year) and some
scanning and
> occasional faxing. Do scanners tend to go bad on 4-1s? I was
thinking the
> thing that would go bad would be the printer. My old, reliable HP b &W
> laser printer bought in 94 finally ran out of ink (cartridge
replacement is
> prohibitive) so have seen how much longer laser cartridges can last than,
> say, Dell inkjet cartridges.
Scanning for faxing is simple, and it gives you a copy to store on your
hard drive. I've broken two scanners already; actually I didn't break
them, one had a bulb that died, the other wouldn't move the bulb
smoothly and the scans were bad. If they had printers attached, I'd have
to replace both. I scan only about 10 documents a week, although I've
done as many as 80 in a day, or as none in a month. If you're using a
PC, many scanners have a button that you can use to copy and print
directly. I don't do that because I like to have a copy on my computer.
I'd guess your HP B/W laser printer is either HP LaserJet II, III or 4,
same as Apple Personal LaserWriter NTR, QMS 410, etc., all made with a
Canon engine. There are aftermarket toner cartridges for those models.
They don't break even after they start to creak. I just gave a perfectly
good 1994 vintage Personal LaserWriter 300 to a friend. Only problem
with those printers in a small apartment is that they give off a lot of
ozone--bad for your health. My LaserWriters took HP 92275A/92274A toner
cartridges. Price ranges from $25-75 depending on the dealer and whether
it's HP bramded or a compatible cartridge. Even at $75 that only about
2.2 cents a page [3500 pages].
I usually go to a store to print photos. Most charge from 10-29 cents
for a 4x6 print which is cheaper than printing it myself--and making
mistakes lining it up or centering. I pay a friend for her ink to use
her PIXMA printer to do 8x10s or larger.
Betty
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