Not so very long ago, when you wanted to travel with a printer, that meant that some truly impressive travel arrangements had to be made. You might be stuck with something the size of a small desk that would need constant support and attention. You might have been using an ink jet printer or a thermal printer.
All of these printers had their drawbacks. For instance, thermal printers needed their own special type of paper and the results were often strange. Ink jets gave you good results, but changes in temperature, humidity or set up could have you spending hours cleaning the heads. Similarly, ink jet printing could get very pricey very quickly. These were all problems that you might have had to deal with.
On the other hand, you might have had a laptop printer that would last you about three months and need a lot of care for those three months. They might not have been great solutions, and from hearing the IT departments grumble, they were a pain to support as well!
However, as technology has advanced, desktop printers have shrunk in size, from 70 lb behemoths to 20 lb items that are somewhat smaller. This has happened with both inkjet printers and lasers, and some inkjets have gotten more robust at how they deal with temperature and humidity changes.
The real winner has been the ever shrinking laser printer. While initially marketed for college students who needed to pack a printer they could fit into a dorm room, these small 'personal laser' printers are still pretty impressive, with pages per minute in the 12+ range, and good durability cycles - and they're small enough to fit into a suitcase.
When you are looking at a laser printer when it comes to consumables means that you get rates of about 7 cents per page; this is when you are looking at black and white pages with about 10 percent coverage. Remember that if you want something more like photo printing, the cost will go up, but in many ways, the quality is worth it.
When we say that these things are small - we mean it. The HP 1006 Personal LaserJet is tiny - it's a bit bigger than a toaster. It gets thrown into the demo kit when we go to trade shows, so that we can print sales reports and data sheets on the fly for customers. It measures about 14" wide by 8" deep by 9" tall, and it folds up readily into its box.
The pass through tray is something of an annoying thing to deal with, but you really don't need it at all. Getting set up is simple, the functionality is excellent and the low cost of the consumables make this a perfect tool for anyone who needs to travel and print while they are on the road! - 30529
All of these printers had their drawbacks. For instance, thermal printers needed their own special type of paper and the results were often strange. Ink jets gave you good results, but changes in temperature, humidity or set up could have you spending hours cleaning the heads. Similarly, ink jet printing could get very pricey very quickly. These were all problems that you might have had to deal with.
On the other hand, you might have had a laptop printer that would last you about three months and need a lot of care for those three months. They might not have been great solutions, and from hearing the IT departments grumble, they were a pain to support as well!
However, as technology has advanced, desktop printers have shrunk in size, from 70 lb behemoths to 20 lb items that are somewhat smaller. This has happened with both inkjet printers and lasers, and some inkjets have gotten more robust at how they deal with temperature and humidity changes.
The real winner has been the ever shrinking laser printer. While initially marketed for college students who needed to pack a printer they could fit into a dorm room, these small 'personal laser' printers are still pretty impressive, with pages per minute in the 12+ range, and good durability cycles - and they're small enough to fit into a suitcase.
When you are looking at a laser printer when it comes to consumables means that you get rates of about 7 cents per page; this is when you are looking at black and white pages with about 10 percent coverage. Remember that if you want something more like photo printing, the cost will go up, but in many ways, the quality is worth it.
When we say that these things are small - we mean it. The HP 1006 Personal LaserJet is tiny - it's a bit bigger than a toaster. It gets thrown into the demo kit when we go to trade shows, so that we can print sales reports and data sheets on the fly for customers. It measures about 14" wide by 8" deep by 9" tall, and it folds up readily into its box.
The pass through tray is something of an annoying thing to deal with, but you really don't need it at all. Getting set up is simple, the functionality is excellent and the low cost of the consumables make this a perfect tool for anyone who needs to travel and print while they are on the road! - 30529
About the Author:
The market for small portable printers is still in its infant stage and you will need to be careful before purchasing a portable printer. If you're in a hurry read our review of the h47wbt OfficeJet OfficeJet mobile printer. It has received raving reviews from a lot of people.
