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Before we even get to printers, let's address a difficulty you may not be aware of: the types of plugs that connect your computer and your printer. Looking at this section may prevent you returning a new printer that doesn't fit well with your older computer.

Plug types

Here's a warning about the types of plugs that connect printers to your PC. The parallel port discussion doesn't apply to the Mac platform, but the info about USB does.

When you know that you must plug something in, the next questions are What? and Where? For Mac folks, the printer cable used to always plug into the printer port, marked with the appropriate icon. For PCs, it used to be the parallel port.  Now the printer may use a USB port, which older Macs and PCs don't have.

For both Mac and PC users, the What? is often easy: you'll probably get a cable with your printer. It's usually designed so that one end fits into the printer and the other doesn't-so that end must go into your computer. Probably into a plug in the back.

Parallel (PC)              

A tried-and-true connection type, with a plug on every older PC and most new ones.

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USB               

USB plug           

A new, faster connection, used for scanners and cameras, but now also for printers on both Macs and PCs. A newer USB 2.0 standard is starting to appear. Make sure that you have a new computer and operating system that supports version 2.0 if you get a USB 2.0 printer.

Also, if you have an older PC, make sure that you are using at least Windows 98 (Windows95 only supported USB late in the game, and didn't do it well). Windows Me. 2000, and XP all support USB connections; NT doesn't.

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Printers

These are the two consumer printer types.

Ink jets     

Ink jets print in color using cartridges containing separate black and three or four colors of ink. They range from under $100 for the simplest models to more than $1000 for almost professional color machines. But the hidden cost is the ink. Cartridges can cost $30 for black and even more for color. And they print only hundreds, not thousands, of pages.

You can get crisp text and almost photographic quality graphics printing from some models, if you spend enough on quality paper. In general, the output quality from these printers is amazing for the price.

Many highly rated ink jet printers lie in the $100-$250 range. Top manufacturers include Lexmark, Epson, HP, and Canon. See the listings for Mac and PC component reviews on the Links page for the latest information and pricing.

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Lasers        

Though these are mostly black and white printers, color lasers now start at about $2000. The most popular price range for black and white desktop lasers is $300-$500. They print using laser beams, heat and a toner cartridge that usually costs from $70 to $150 to replace. But, unlike ink jet cartridges, one toner cartridge can print thousands of pages. The cost per page is much lower than for ink jets, and text tends to be sharper and cleaner. Again, see the listings for Mac and PC component reviews on the Links page for the latest information and pricing.

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