ink jet or laser jet?

I think the laser printer can give you a clearer and advanced pictures than the ink printers , but it is rather expensive than the ink printers .....
i can't advice you about which you should buy ..... but the laser is more advanced , but if you need it at home you must buy the cheaper i mean the ink printer.....

If you have the funds and quality means something to you, I'd go with the laser jet, especially if you are interested in printing photo's. A laser jet also prints much faster and I truly wish I had one.

Welcome to A2K :-D

Hey Montana how come you have whats her names photo...?

thanks people

WHAT'S HER NAME!? OH!

We've gone entirely laser in the office, and not just for the quality of print. They seem many times more durable than an ink jet printer, and you don't have to change toner cartridges nearly as often. Prices have even come down so much, I now have a laser printer at home. Before buying, check the toner price. My printer is only $50.00 more than one cartridge.

So, yes, laser printers have cartridges, but they call the stuff toner instead of ink

With a laser, by the way, you won't get color printing unless you fork over some really big bucks. If color is important, you are stuck with an inkjet.

You must be talking about Gezzy and the reason is because I am Gezzy ;-)

And we're all happy about it!

Awwww!!!!! Aren't you sweet (smooch) :-D ;-)

ok so the next bit goes like this.what the hells a bubble jet and whats a desk jet?????
think im more confused than ever

Off hand, Desk Jet is a trademark of Hewlett Packard. Bubble jet introduces air into the ink as it's being applied to lower the viscosity. They still make bubble jets?

Ink jet printers are more expensive to operate -- they get you on the printing head and ink cartridge cost.

BubbleJet is a Canon thing, as far as I know. Inkjets are best for all-around home-type use, and the better photo-quality inkjets, using additional photo-printing-specific color cartridges, provided with good file data and fed high-quality photo paper, produce stunning results, almost indistinguishable from the far pricier and less verstile dye-sublimation printers which are intended expressly for photo reproduction.

The real rub with any inkjet is the cost of the ink. The cheaper refill kits, and the generic reloaded ink cartridges, get mixed reviews. One of my printers refuses to recognize any but its vendor's own new cartridges, while a couple others work, if less well than with OEM cartridges, with just about anything that fits. Im use a monochrome laser printer for just about all of my plain=text output; its faster, quieter, and cheaper to operate than any of my inkjets. I screwed up once, and accidently printed several pages of plain text with a printer loaded with specific, and expensive, photo ink cartridges and likewise expensive top-quality photo paper. The output was pretty, yeah, but real pricey. I watch carefully now to make sure which printer is designated before I commit the job.

Short version: IMHO, for the typical home user, who is going to want to print a mix of text and images, or the all but fanatic photo enthusiast: Inkjet - quality, and price, depending on personal needs - is the way to go. Multiple individual purpose-specific printers, each employed only for the application for which it is designed, is the overall best solution, but for most folks, its a setup that makes little financial success, and it can provide some interesting network-type entertainment if you have two or more computers.

There's also the drawback of having to inventory an assortment of consumables, none, or damned few, of which have any cross-application. And of course, the cartridge that runs out in the middle of a job inevitably is the one for which you don't have a backup. If its a critical job, the local office supply and computer outlets won't have any in stock, either.

Yes thats it Gezzy, yes , so nice to find you again....Gung Hay fat Choy !!!

One thing to keep in mind on the ink refill kits is that I did that to save myself some money, but the cartridges ended up leaking inside my printer and now my favorite printer no longer works because of it, so I'll never do that again. You get what you pay for ;-)

Algis
Thanks very much and it's always a pleasure seeing you as well :-D

i think all im wanting to do to start with is print off interesting things off the net,also route planning maps really,not too bothered at the minute for photos,but sometime in the future that may come into the equation.
ive just read in a computer magazine about inkjets being so expensive to run because like people have said on here the cost of the cartridges etc.
laser jets seem cheaper to run in the long run but i suppose the amount of printing i will probably be doing its not worth investing the initial higher price.
thanks for everyones advice on this subject,its most appreciated.

Sounds like an inkjet is the way to go then. Good luck to you.

For your purposes, I would definitely suggest an inkjet. I have found a way to save on ink. Unless something that I am printing is really important, I use Econofast (on my old HP) or Draft mode (on my new Canon). For saving internet articles and such, this method uses much less ink, and the printer prints faster. The copies are perfectly acceptable.

I only use a higher quality resolution for printing photos, or really important documents. Also, if the printer gives you a notification that you are running out of a certain color ink, don't believe them. I had that on my new Canon. I got at least 100 more copies AFTER I got the notification. I change the cartridge when I can't see the printing anymore!

Printing stuff you just want to archive for future personal reference using the 'Draft" or lowest resolution mode will save ink, as will setting the printer's properties to print only in black-and-white, if such a setting is available. Black ink cartridges typically hold more ink, and are less costly, than are color cartridges. Another good point Phoenix makes is that printers typically warn of low ink long before the ink is exhausted. The only reliable indicator of ink depletion is print quality; you ain't out of ink untill your prints start looking like you're out of ink.

One thing to beware of when it comes to the very cheapest of the bargain printers is that most of them come with only one cartridge installed, the costlier color cartridge, which can print black, but at an ink consumption rate several times that of a black cartridge. Many of these "Bargain" printers in fact accept only one cartridge, requiring the user to choose between printing everything in full 3-color mode, or printing everything in black-and-white, depending on which cartridge is installed. Obviously, such printers are no bargain at all. Be certain any printer you choose accomodates, and comes with, both black and color cartridges.

Another economy tip: if the printer will be used only infrequently, shut it off and/or unplug it (some printers have no power switch) when done printing, then remove the ink cartridges and store them individually in sealable, air-tight sandwich bags. When you wish to print, give the bottom, print-head portion of the cartridge a couple quick, gentle passes with a disposable alcohol wipe, reinstall the cartridges, then power the printer on. It will never know the cartridges have been removed and replaced if its done while the printer is not powered on.

Here's PC World's recent summary of their annual Top 10 Inkjet Printer Reviews

hi
just to let everyone know that ive took on board all your opinions and last night,probably your morning in the usa,i bought an ink jet lexmark z708 for £59.99(dont know how much that is in dollars).
so far im very happy with the results.
thanks again to everyone who contributed with their thoughts