One of my tiny niches in the support arena, is local desktop support. A large amount of that is getting a printer to work or getting a machine to work with a printer. Multifunction printers have become a standard piece of equipment, but have some very nice features. You can now print from nearly every device and from anywhere on the internet.
But even without moving parts, these machines tend to be a source of frustrations and problems. It is sometimes worth upgrading to a laser printer, but not in every case. People often ask me what they should buy. Many years ago, I considered HP to be the gold standard, but their quality slipped alongside general company woes. Five years ago, I would have recommended a Canon, and they have done some good engineering, but now you can’t always rely on every model to be a winner from them either.
The evaluation of printer quality is a moving target. Therefore, it is best to do fresh research when looking to do a purchase or a replacement.
Here is a nice list put together by Best Reviews that is a good starting place if you are in the market for a new multifunction inkjet.
…..And despite the scare tactics from printer companies who claim that any other ink cartridge then their own will destroy the printer, I still buy third party ink at places like Cartridge World.
