Help me find a tiny laser printer with spunk.
November 3, 2008 5:36 PM Subscribe
I have dreamed a dream of a printer. Let me describe it to you. Monochrome laser, tiny, wireless. Does such a thing exist?
I want to print papers. Text. That is all. I have no interest whatsoever in color. I'm a PC user. Furthermore, I wish to spend no more than $250. I was looking at the Samsung ML-2510... it still looks too big for the tiny footprint of my nomadic lifestyle. I read the other printer-related questions but they don't quite seem to get what I'm looking for.
my lilliputian netbook is forlorn and desires a diminutive compatriot.
I want to print papers. Text. That is all. I have no interest whatsoever in color. I'm a PC user. Furthermore, I wish to spend no more than $250. I was looking at the Samsung ML-2510... it still looks too big for the tiny footprint of my nomadic lifestyle. I read the other printer-related questions but they don't quite seem to get what I'm looking for.
my lilliputian netbook is forlorn and desires a diminutive compatriot.
Best answer: I have the same dream. However the size thing was the dealbreaker and I settled for "stackable" instead of tiny and took home a Brother HL2170-W. Decent price and I perch my other peripherals on top of it when I'm not printing [which is most of the time]. It's fast and otherwise awesome. I will be looking at this thread to see if there is something I have missed.
posted by jessamyn at 5:58 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by jessamyn at 5:58 PM on November 3, 2008
Best answer: Perhaps the Samsung ML-1630? Here are some photos.
posted by roomwithaview at 7:02 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by roomwithaview at 7:02 PM on November 3, 2008
Nomadic suggests you want it to be actually portable. This isn't terribly likely due to the way toner is stored in a drum - Knocking it around will cause all sorts of problems, likely destroying the toner and/or cartridge, or the toner spilling out. (although it's surely possible to design a cartridge that doesn't have these problems, I doubt anyone's bothered). Couple that with the power requirements, and a certain minimum bulk...
posted by Rendus at 7:57 PM on November 3, 2008
posted by Rendus at 7:57 PM on November 3, 2008
It is really hard to make a printer small and reliable.
The inkjet process has exactly two main processes- picking up the paper and squirting ink on it.
The laser has three- picking the paper, putting ink on it and then fusing the ink to the paper.
Also, the laser process just has more parts. They can cram pretty much the whole inkjet process into a little one inch cube. The laser process, however, needs more stuff. There has to be a laser (and a series of mirrors to guide the beam), or an LED bar. There has to be a photoconductor (that bluegreen aluminum tube) and a couple of other rollers. Then there has to be the fusing assembly containing two rollers and a heater.
It could be done, but I'd bet that the market just isn't big enough for tiny laser printers to make it worth while. People who want tiny printers probably want then to be battery operated as well, and as others have said, the laser process is hard to do with batteries.
posted by gjc at 5:10 AM on November 4, 2008
The inkjet process has exactly two main processes- picking up the paper and squirting ink on it.
The laser has three- picking the paper, putting ink on it and then fusing the ink to the paper.
Also, the laser process just has more parts. They can cram pretty much the whole inkjet process into a little one inch cube. The laser process, however, needs more stuff. There has to be a laser (and a series of mirrors to guide the beam), or an LED bar. There has to be a photoconductor (that bluegreen aluminum tube) and a couple of other rollers. Then there has to be the fusing assembly containing two rollers and a heater.
It could be done, but I'd bet that the market just isn't big enough for tiny laser printers to make it worth while. People who want tiny printers probably want then to be battery operated as well, and as others have said, the laser process is hard to do with batteries.
posted by gjc at 5:10 AM on November 4, 2008
Response by poster: OKAY. After several months of deliberation, we purchased the HP 6988. It's not at all what we'd originally dreamed of, but I have to tell you that having a wireless printer is pretty much the most awesome thing ever. Plus, you can get it relatively cheap and it prints fast. Also, it's cool lookin and really small.
THANKS EVERYONE.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 7:00 PM on March 29, 2009
THANKS EVERYONE.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 7:00 PM on March 29, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zsazsa at 5:45 PM on November 3, 2008