With prices on printers dropping every year, they have almost become
a disposable commodity. People often replace their printers after as
little as two years of use.
Low-end Macs are one thing, but how about low-end printers?
Sure, I'll replace my computer when it's become too slow after years
of software upgrades, develops problems that can't be fixed
cost-effectively, or becomes incompatible with other hardware I want to
use. But my inkjet printer?
I've got an Epson Stylus Photo 1200 from 1999 connected to my Power
Mac G5. It's a wide-format printer, meaning that it can print pages up
to 13" x 44". It uses a smaller ink-drop size than the printers it
replaced (although the models that replaced it - the 1270 and current
1280 - use an even smaller ink-drop size). It's resolution is "only"
1440 x 720 dpi, compared to the 1280's 5760 x 720 dpi.
Even though I typically end up printing nothing more than papers for
school and the occasional photograph, I like having the ability to
print out something in a wide format if I ever needed to. The photos it
prints out are definitely "good enough" for framing and placing on a
wall, and 1440 x 720 is more than enough to print out basic word
processing documents.
There's also the fact that the current version of my printer, the
Stylus Photo 1280, costs roughly $500. It essentially offers me nothing
more than the features I already use on my 1200, and spending that
amount of money to replace a functioning printer would be
ridiculous.
At home, we have an old HP DeskJet 870Cse from about 1995 connected
to our PC. Sure, it's only 600 x 600 dpi, and it's obsolete when it
comes to connecting it to a Mac (it has an old Mac serial port on it
and no USB), but it still connects to a modern PC via a parallel
port.
Why throw the printer out if it still prints fine? After all, that's
pretty much what you buy a printer for.
Whether you're printing out directions to somewhere you've never
been before, an email with flight confirmation numbers on it, or a
paper for school, any printer is pretty much going to do a similar
job.
Unless, that is, you get into high-resolution photography where the
printer, type of ink, and type of paper are critical to having a good
printout.
However, most home users have no reason to throw out their
two-year-old printer. Many do find it frustrating, though, that they
have to spend $75 on ink while a new printer is on sale for $49.95.
I've even heard a story of someone stocking up on $29 Lexmark printers
simply because the ink costs twice what the printer does. (Editor's
note: Buyer beware - sometimes the printers come with "starter" ink
cartridges that don't hold as much as the replacements you'll buy.)
There are a couple ways around this. The first is to buy the
"generic" replacement cartridges. At one point they were only available
online or on
eBay, but now even Staples and
Walmart sell them in their stores. It's become a big business to
sell ink cartridges at a discount price - almost everyone uses an
inkjet printer somewhere, whether at home or in the office.
Almost everyone is also discouraged at having to pay the full price
to replace ink cartridges. If you've got a fairly common printer,
chances are you'll have no trouble whatsoever finding replacement ink
from a source other than the manufacturer.
There's also the option of refilling your inkjet cartridges. At one
time you could only order kits online, but now stores such as Island
Inkjet are opening up that will do the refilling for you, and many
office supply stores and general retailers stock these kits as
well.
If your replacement ink is only going to be $30 and not $75, that
can make your printer last longer by reducing the temptation to buy
that new $49 printer just for the ink cartridges.
You can also help keep your printer in good condition by printing
regularly. If you let an inkjet printer sit for months, the ink can dry
up and the nozzles can become permanently clogged.
While no printer will last forever, a decent model should be able to
outlast two computers for most home users.
