Laser printer HELP!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Buzzotta
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob Buzzotta

Hi Guys,

I need some help here please. My very old TI MicroLaser Pro 600 is
telling me it has an empty image cart. Not suprising since this is the
same toner cart I've had for several years!

Just shopping a little on the web, I think I'm seeing that a new toner
cart is around $170!

Is there a reason why I shouldn't just buy a new laser printer at
PcMall for $189?

New printer is:
- newer
- faster
- higher res.
- probably won't jam everytime?
- more memory
- usb

Do I have the cost of toner correct? What am I missing here?

Any help would really be appreciated!

Thanks,
Bob
 
(e-mail address removed) (Bob Buzzotta) wrote in
New printer is:
- newer
- faster
- higher res.
- probably won't jam everytime?
- more memory
- usb

Do I have the cost of toner correct? What am I missing here?
Click to expand...

The new printer maybe "Windows Only". WinPrinters lack a processor and
require propreitary drivers.

Your printer on the otherhand supports PCL 5. PCL is a de facto standard
printing language for Laser Printers. Even if you can't find drivers for
the next version of Windows, you can always use the generic PCL Windows
printer driver.

Last but not least... a lot of budget lasers come with a sample toner cart
which is only good for ~500 pages.
 
I don't agree. Most lasers are either PCL or PS compatible, or both, and
will even work with Apples. They may require loading drivers with Linux.
You might be thinking of inkjet printers which indeed are often Windoze
only.

Don
 
You better look again. Almost all sub-$150 laser printers don't have
built-in PCL. They're usually host-based, which is perfectly fine for most
people.

Don said:
I don't agree. Most lasers are either PCL or PS compatible, or both, and
will even work with Apples. They may require loading drivers with Linux.
You might be thinking of inkjet printers which indeed are often Windoze
only.

Don
Click to expand...
 
Bob Buzzotta said:
Hi Guys,

I need some help here please. My very old TI MicroLaser Pro 600 is
telling me it has an empty image cart. Not suprising since this is the
same toner cart I've had for several years!

Just shopping a little on the web, I think I'm seeing that a new toner
cart is around $170!

Is there a reason why I shouldn't just buy a new laser printer at
PcMall for $189?
Click to expand...
Check this pricing, your decision may vary.
http://www.cti-texas.com/cti-texas/ti26mipro600.html
 
Don said:
Most lasers are either PCL or PS compatible, or both, and
will even work with Apples. They may require loading drivers with Linux.
You might be thinking of inkjet printers which indeed are often Windoze
only.
Click to expand...

Most lasers under 200.00 are Host Based (Windows Only) GDI printers.

As for InkJets, some are actually smarter than Host Based Laser Printers,
at least you can print from a DOS command line without a driver! : )
 
I just checked the HP site, and their lowest-cost laser, the 1012, is PCL/PS
compatible. It lists for $199, but the street price is $150. I didn't
check the sites for the imports - you may be correct about those.

Don


Sharon Lowe said:
You better look again. Almost all sub-$150 laser printers don't have
built-in PCL. They're usually host-based, which is perfectly fine for most
people.
Click to expand...
 
The HP LaserJet 1012 is definately host-based. The 1015 has PCL5e, but I'm
not sure it's available in the U.S.
 
Just shopping a little on the web, I think I'm seeing that a new toner
cart is around $170!
Click to expand...

Chec eBay. You can probably get one for less than a third of that.
Is there a reason why I shouldn't just buy a new laser printer at
PcMall for $189?

New printer is:
- newer
- faster
- higher res.
- probably won't jam everytime?
- more memory
- usb
Click to expand...

I once had a TI Microlaser. Jam city. Finally gave up and sold it.
Otherwise, however, it was a solid and well-made printer. What you
will get at PC Mall for $189 isn't going to be nearly as rugged.

Today the rule of thumb is that the cheaper the printer the more
expensive the consumables, and vice-versa. For all the inexpensive
consumer model printers the manufacturers are going to the razor blade
model of marketing -- give away the razors and make the money on the
blades. Of course, at your volume that is probably not a real issue.
 
Marek Williams said:
Chec eBay. You can probably get one for less than a third of that.


I once had a TI Microlaser. Jam city. Finally gave up and sold it.
Otherwise, however, it was a solid and well-made printer. What you
will get at PC Mall for $189 isn't going to be nearly as rugged.

Today the rule of thumb is that the cheaper the printer the more
expensive the consumables, and vice-versa. For all the inexpensive
consumer model printers the manufacturers are going to the razor blade
model of marketing -- give away the razors and make the money on the
blades. Of course, at your volume that is probably not a real issue.
Click to expand...



Wow, a wealth of info! Thanks to everyone. I love the idea of finding
the toner for $49. I still,(failed to mention), that the TI is a big
paper jammer. I did find some threads about dirty/worn feeder rollers
and such. I still have a couple weeks to make a decision.

Thanks to all agaain,
Bob
 
Hi Guys,

I need some help here please. My very old TI MicroLaser Pro 600 is
telling me it has an empty image cart. Not suprising since this is the
same toner cart I've had for several years!

Just shopping a little on the web, I think I'm seeing that a new toner
cart is around $170!
Click to expand...

How about looking for toner kit and refill the toner yourself. I don't
have the one you have but I have refilled toner for few laser printers and
they are very easy to do, and it costs around $8-15 for the toner kit
(3000-6000 pages depending on printer and model).
 
Definitely go with a new printer. You might pay the big bucks for a
new toner cart and find that the power supply burns out tomorrow. Of
course that would mean that your software would have to work with the
new printer.

Your only real question is which one to buy. Costs per page is nice
to know but at the rate you print, that is not really important.

I'd suggest inkjet though.
 
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