As a general rule, laser printers offer a lower cost per page than ink jet printers, even when printing in monochrome. This is because ink jet consumables, especially ink cartridges, have to be replaced more frequently. Over time, they can cost you far more than you paid for your printer! It's no accident that low-end ink jets are given away with the purchase of new PCs. The manufacturers know you'll have to pony up $40 or more every few months for a new ink cartridge. It's an old marketing trick known as giving away the razor to sell the blades.

By contrast, more expensive printers tend to accommodate bigger cartridges that don't need replacing as often, which means the cost per page is likely to be lower. Run the numbers and you may find that the cost per page for a high-end ink jet (printing both color and monochrome) is higher than for a low-end color laser with a higher price tag. And even a small difference in the cost per page can mean saving hundreds of dollars over a printer's lifetime, making the more expensive printer the better buy in the long run. You may also want to consider such issues as the cost of extended warranties and electricity. Laser printers, for example, draw more power than ink jets.

Personal

$40 to $100; $100 to $200 for an equivalent MFP. At this price range, expect relatively low output quality and slow speeds, as both generally increase with price. But even ink jet printers on the high end of this inexpensive price range typically offer lower quality, especially for graphics and photographs. Look in this price range if you need to attach a printer to a single computer and a low purchase price is your chief concern.

$100 to $200; $200 to $300 for an MFP Ink jet printers in this range offer good to excellent output for text, graphics, and photos. Speed generally in-creases with price. If you don't need color, you'll find some monochrome laser printers in this price range with faster printing speeds than the ink jets here and better quality for text and line graphics. Look for a printer here if you need to attach it to a single computer and you expect to print no more than about 20 pages a day.

$200 to $600; $300 to $700 for an MFP. Ink jet printers in this price range generally offer excellent output and speeds that can rival those of low-end laser printers. Some offer special paper-handling features, such as duplexing or the ability to handle tabloid- or supertabloid-size pages (somewhat larger than 11 by 17 inches).

You can also find ink jets in this price range with connections for standard Ethernet, 802.11b wireless, or Bluetooth networks. For those who don't need color, monochrome laser models in this range offer speeds of 10 to 20 pages per minute and paper capacities of 250 sheets or more. At the high end of the range you can also find some laser printers with built-in network connections.

Look for a printer in this price range if you need to attach a printer to a single computer or small home network and you need high-quality output but won't be producing demanding print jobs, such as 50-page reports with color graphics.

$600 to $1,000—Printers Only. The few ink jet printers in this price range can handle monthly duty cycles that are often higher than those of low-end laser printers—as much as 30,000 pages per month. Monochrome laser printers in this price range are generally intended to be shared, making them of little interest to personal users. More interesting are low-end color laser printers. With prices starting at about $700, they're appropriate for personal use, and they offer faster speeds, higher text quality, and somewhat lower graphics and photo quality than ink jet printers.

Look for a printer in this category if you need to attach a printer to a single computer and expect to print an average of as many as 125 pages a day.

Small to Medium Workgroup

$200 to $600; $300 to $700 for an MFP. The small-office choices here are identical to those we discussed in the Personal section in the same price range. Look for a printer in this category if you plan to share it among up to five people on a peer-to-peer network and you don't expect to print jobs of more than a few pages at a time on a regular basis.

$600 to $1,400; $700 to $2,000 for an MFP. Ink jet printers at this level, like personal printers in the same price range, offer monthly duty cycles that are often higher than those of low-end lasers—as much as 30,000 pages per month. Monochrome lasers in this price range offer speeds of up to 35 pages per minute, along with features such as duplexing, 500-sheet paper drawers, and network connections.

This price category also includes low-end color laser printers; one of these can serve as a small office's only printer. Such models typically offer speeds of up to 4 ppm for color and up to 20 ppm for monochrome.

Look for an ink jet in this category if you need a printer to share in a group of up to five users, printing no more than a total of 125 pages a day. Look for a monochrome laser printer in this price range if you don't need color and you will be printing hundreds of pages a day. Look for a color laser if you have up to ten users or somewhat heavy-duty printing requirements that require color.

$1,400 to $2,000; $2,000 to $4,000 for an MFP. Printers in this range and above are all laser (or laser-class) printers and connect directly to a network. Monochrome models offer speeds of up to 45 ppm and input capacities of 1,000 pages or more, with options for still greater input capacities and additional paper-handling features, such as multiple output bins. Most models also have duplexing capabilities. At the high end, you can find monochrome laser printers that handle tabloid-size paper. Color units include single-pass printers with speeds of 16 ppm or better for both color and monochrome.

Look for a monochrome laser in this category if you don't need color but will be doing some heavy-duty printing. Look for a color laser printer if you need color printing capabilities for ten or more people.

Departmental

$1,400 to $2,500; $2,000 to $7,000 for an MFP. This category overlaps with the highest-price category of workgroup printers. The biggest difference is in the monochrome laser printers: Those in the high end of this category include support for both standard letter- and legal-size paper and additional feed options; some printers can also handle tabloid-size paper. Look for a monochrome printer in this category if your department doesn't need color or you already have a printer for color print jobs. Look for a color laser if you'll be using it as a supplementary printer for color jobs.

$2,500 and up; $7,000 and up for an MFP. Most if not all monochrome laser printers in this price range handle paper up to tabloid or supertabloid size, with speeds of about 50 ppm. Duplexing is standard on most models, and duty cycles are often measured in thousands of pages per month. You can also find time-saving paper-handling features such as collating and stapling.

The more expensive color lasers in this price range also support duplexing and tabloid- and supertabloid-size printing, but there are fewer paper-handling features, and they print at slower speeds than their monochrome counterparts—about 20 ppm for both monochrome and color printing in most cases. At least one color laser model in this category prints 30 ppm in color and 37 ppm in black and white. Look for a printer in this price range if you have demanding, heavy-duty printing requirements. A color laser in this category can function as a department's only printer.

Mobile

$200 to $350. Portable printers have a number of things in common: They're small, lightweight, battery-operated, and fairly rare. And there aren't many differences among them, although you'll find both three-color and four-color models. If portability is a priority or you have a limited amount of desk space, consider buying a mobile printer.