advice pls, which one of these...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eric
  • Start date Start date
E

Eric

My parents need a printer just to print out an email or web page
occasionally. Which of these do you suggest remembering that my
parents are not computer savvy.

Their computer is old so I'm not sure it has a USB port. I assume I
can get an adapter for parallel port, no?

thanks
Eric

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=09584
Lexmark 22S0200 : 600x600dpi / 22ppm black Price : $145.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=16568
Samsung ML-1610 : Samsung ML1610 Laser 17ppm 600dpi 150p-Tray
USB(Before $30 Mail-In-Rebate) Price : $105.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=16790
Epson C11C572043 : Epson Stylus CX1500v All-in-One 12/5ppm 2880X720
Photo Printer Scanner Copier
Price : $70.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=02408
Lexmark 13D0000 : 4800x1200dpi / 15(5)ppm colour / 21(14)ppm black
Price : $50.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=18205
HP C9050A#B1H : 4800x1200dpi / 12(2.1)ppm colour / 16(5.7)ppm black
Price : $70.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=06158
Lexmark 18K6277 : 4800x1200dpi / 8(3)ppm colour / 14(10)ppm black
Price : $55.00
 
Eric said:
My parents need a printer just to print out an email or web page
occasionally. Which of these do you suggest remembering that my
parents are not computer savvy.

Their computer is old so I'm not sure it has a USB port. I assume I
can get an adapter for parallel port, no?

thanks
Eric
Click to expand...

You say their computer is "old". What operating system? I ask because I
don't think most modern printers are supported for something as antique
Windows 3.1. Window 95 is generally supported, but check this little
detail before buying. They'd do fine - and I suggest - a very basic,
entry level Canon printer (if they're not printing digital photos).
Inexpensive compatible cartridges are abundant for Canon. They'll save a
bundle, giving them enough money to get a modern computer. :-)

-Taliesyn
 
Eric said:
My parents need a printer just to print out an email or web page
occasionally. Which of these do you suggest remembering that my
parents are not computer savvy.

Their computer is old so I'm not sure it has a USB port. I assume I
can get an adapter for parallel port, no?

thanks
Eric

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=09584
Lexmark 22S0200 : 600x600dpi / 22ppm black Price : $145.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=16568
Samsung ML-1610 : Samsung ML1610 Laser 17ppm 600dpi 150p-Tray
USB(Before $30 Mail-In-Rebate) Price : $105.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=16790
Epson C11C572043 : Epson Stylus CX1500v All-in-One 12/5ppm 2880X720
Photo Printer Scanner Copier
Price : $70.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=02408
Lexmark 13D0000 : 4800x1200dpi / 15(5)ppm colour / 21(14)ppm black
Price : $50.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=18205
HP C9050A#B1H : 4800x1200dpi / 12(2.1)ppm colour / 16(5.7)ppm black
Price : $70.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=06158
Lexmark 18K6277 : 4800x1200dpi / 8(3)ppm colour / 14(10)ppm black
Price : $55.00
Click to expand...

Firstly the USB/Parallel issue - see
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000677.htm I believe they are right to
recommend installing USB in the PC but the PC must be capable of this and must
be running Windows 98 or later.
Secondly if they are only going to print occasionally I recommend a HP printer
which has the printheads built into the cartridges, almost any other make may
suffer printhead failure if they are not used at least once per week, at least
if this happens with the HP printers they can buy replacement cartrdiges. I do
not recommend Lexmark inkjet printers at all.
One other thought, if they don't need colour maybe a low end laser would be
better, no problems with infrequent use. The USB issue may still need to be
addressed because most low end lasers are now built without a parallel
connecor, but a second hand parallel laser may fit the bill.
Good luck
Tony
 
Eric said:
My parents need a printer just to print out an email or web page
occasionally. Which of these do you suggest remembering that my
parents are not computer savvy.

Their computer is old so I'm not sure it has a USB port. I assume I
can get an adapter for parallel port, no?

thanks
Eric

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=09584
Lexmark 22S0200 : 600x600dpi / 22ppm black Price : $145.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=16568
Samsung ML-1610 : Samsung ML1610 Laser 17ppm 600dpi 150p-Tray
USB(Before $30 Mail-In-Rebate) Price : $105.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=16790
Epson C11C572043 : Epson Stylus CX1500v All-in-One 12/5ppm 2880X720
Photo Printer Scanner Copier
Price : $70.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=02408
Lexmark 13D0000 : 4800x1200dpi / 15(5)ppm colour / 21(14)ppm black
Price : $50.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=18205
HP C9050A#B1H : 4800x1200dpi / 12(2.1)ppm colour / 16(5.7)ppm black
Price : $70.00

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=06158
Lexmark 18K6277 : 4800x1200dpi / 8(3)ppm colour / 14(10)ppm black
Price : $55.00
Click to expand...

You need to get one with a parallel port, if your
parents are not going to upgrade to an XP system.
For easy of use and dependability, I would get
an HP but not the one you listed. If they are not
going to upgrade, you might want to get a used HP
printer. I suggest HP for reliability and ease of
use. Minimum printing will make ink costs
irrelevant, and many HP's can sit for weeks or
months and print right off with no problem. My HP
970 never had a clog, never needed a cleaning
cycle when using an HP cartridge even if it had
been in the machine for a couple of years. You
just click on the print icon and it turns itself
on and prints. No opening or closing doors or
flipping switches to turn it on.
 
<I>Their computer is old so I'm not sure it has a USB port. I assume I
can get an adapter for parallel port, no? </I>

If your comfortable opening up the PC and installing a PCI card...
assuming the system has them free then yea. Otherwise you can find
printers that still support the parallel port. There really isn't a
Parellel port to USB adapter that I'm aware of and while many
motherboards that didn't have USB ports had USB headers.. there are two
issues
1. Going into your average retail place headers cost as much as a PCI
card
2. Anything without actual USB ports is likely to have flacky USB
support. Somethings work just dandy, others do not.

You'd better check as if we're talking no usb ports, we're talking sub
pentium II.. perhaps as high as a pentium II 333.

http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?webid=581957&AffixedCode=WW
CDN$125ish... Parallel & USB WinNT/98/2k/XP are covered... xp64 *could*
be... not sure as it's only supported on another model that is similar.
One of the last printers I know of produced that still sports a
parelell port... I was shocked. The printer is technicaly a closeout
model but isn't a bad egg at all.
 
How about a laser if colour isn't important..!

I suggest this because there are no ink refills and no chance of
clogging, hence fiddling with nozzle checks etc. I have an El' chepo
Samsung mono laser cost me £54 UK inc. delivery and 12 months
warrenty, it has USB and a parallel port connector on.

The toner is about £64, I refilled it for about £6 UK, you can refill
these as long as the toner holds out.

One question that needs to be asked is if it's going to be used
regularly.. if not then you need to be careful on the choice of
printer, in this case a laser or an HP may be a better choice, simply
because you get a new print head with the cartridge.

Davy
 
The problem in your question is that the information about the end user
is very incomplete.

Will they need color printing or just black and white. Are they going
to try to print photographs, or just mainly text. Is speed important?
How much printing will they do?

Do they need an all-in-one, to do scanning, faxing, printing and copying
or not? How old is their computer and what speed approximately?
Obviously, if it has USB or not ma be critical , as many printers to day
do not have parallel/centronics connectors anymore.

Cost of peripherals is also an issue. Lexmark color printers, as an
example, are costly to run, even if they are cheap or free to acquire.

Without further information it is difficult to help in a valuable manner.

Art
 
Back
Top