Phil,
My $0.02. Monochrome laser printers are readily available at popular
prices -- if you can tolerate rapid printing. I've had good
experiences with Brother refurb multi-funcitions printers priced at
about 100 bucks.
I also like the older HP inkjets. They are durable and re-inkable.
Walgreens will re-ink them for a reasonable price. Look at their web
page to learn which carts they refill. You could probably find one on
the used market.
Best,
Larry
Just got the Samsung ML-2510 last month. $45 shipped total from a
Newegg sale on the 2510. Bought 6 bulk-toner bottles (3000 pg refills)
from EBay at $30. At "conservative" 5% factory ratings, I've
somewhere near -- hell, I don't know: maybe 3000-4000 pages printed.
At the factory's "low volume" toner-fill cartridge, rated a thousand,
that took only 250 pages to use up with Word for Windows. I'm now on
my first bottled refill (plus 4-600 hundred additionally printed
pages). Books -- 8x11 with .75" left/right margins, noticing now a
little "spattering" and less than optimal density at either extreme
edge of the margins, with otherwise full density throughout the
centers of the printed pages. Noting major unless it were to become a
fade-out issue. Using the basic Samsung drivers only, off a directory
on its included disk - no software, didn't want it: Windows printer
properties now translates to allowing a graphics setting I set to
toner low density, and another "toner save" I've read to turn off (for
longer life on the fuser/heat unit). Changed the margins to 1.5" on
the a 40-page run just a minute ago and density problem at the margin
edges cleared up.
For an alternative to books, appears to be serious about paying for
its keep. Also, though certainly not a micro-sized printer, its
surprisingly lightweight and very easy to maneuver around. Good thing
as I like to connect live to the parallel port when printing, then
wrap it up to store elsewhere w/out cable clutter.