[jbodden6977]

No airconditioning - and I am sick of buying ink jets that clog and won't print one or more colors after a few weeks.

Can anyone advise that investing in a laser printer would be better?

[rgreen4]

A laser printer is always a better buy than an inkjet - in the long run. While the inital purchase is higher, and the cartridges higher, they last a long time. Over the life of the cartridge, your per copy cost is less with a laser printer than with an inkjet. It's kind of like the old Purolater commercial where the mechanic holds up an off brand gunked up oil filter, and says " You can pay me now or pay me later".

However, if you are in a hot humid situation, I'm not sure you will be real pleased with a laser printer either. The big achilles heel for a laser is the paper handling and paper is very bad about absorbing moisture. Now, a slower printer is not as fussy about the paper as a high speed one, so unless you are really going to print a lot, that's something to consider as well. Offices when moving paper from the unairconditioned storage areas, always like to bring to paper into the copy room a day before it will be needed to allow it to condition before being put in the copier. Copiers are faster than budget priced laser printer, so it may or may not be a problem, I can't say.

You can get an inexpensive monochrome (black toner only) for around a $100, which will print only on one side and hooks to a comuter with a USB cable. A similar color printer will cost around $200. Even a color laser will not print photos as well as an inkjet however. If most of you printing is photographs, you may have to look for a different solution. A window air conditoner for the computer room may help as well.

[smax013]

rgreen4 said:

A window air conditoner for the computer room may help as well.

It will definitely help...that is what I do as my central air has "issues" that I need to someday deal with.

Considering that computer pump out heat, a computer room is generally warmer than any other room. So, a room air conditioner will help in that sense as well...not to mention help keep your computer cooler, which is a good thing.

[jbodden6977]

Thanks for the info. Humidity is not such a big problem here (Arizona/California border area, near El Centro CA. aka "America's Crotchland) as only double digit humidity is pretty much the norm.

That - and the heat - I blame for the inkjet problems.

I simply cannot remember to print out a page every few days... I get busy with other things.

I guess I have to go buy a Walmart special for thirty bucks every time I have a print job.

Thanks and - Americas energy policy is a shipwreck, I call it the 'Enron Valdez'.

[rgreen4]

Each morning when you boot the computer, go to the printer folder and print a test page. So you burn an extra pack of paper every year and a half. That's about $3 a year, small price for working printer.

[smax013]

How does you printer connect? I would assume USB.

It might be possible to create a batch files that will print a file to the printer when run and maybe even cause it to print everytime you boot up. I definitely know how to do the batch file with a parallel port printer...I believe I might be able to figure it out for a USB port as well.

[jbodden6977]

Thanks for the suggestion however one of my problems with that is that I do not boot up regularly. Just today I had a locked solar battery controller so I am online now finding a solution - good news, found a fix - bad news, automatic controller has a bug that makes it less than automatic.

Like having to hire a nanny for the nanny. Darn.

Other than artwork and the very occasional printout (cordless transmission of data to the job) I have much occasion and much inclination to just 'out of sight, out of mind'.

personal problem, I realize. Working on it.



Again thanks.

[jbodden6977]

Such a boon would be greatly appreciated - is there a batch file to turn the printer on also? <VBG>

[smax013]

Is it a USB printer?

[jbodden6977]

>>is it a USB printer



YES. Brother Multifunction scanner/printer/fax with heads that like to gum up in the heat. Oh well. MFC 240 if memory serves. Pretty close regardless.

[smax013]

I will see what I can do about a batch file for a USB printer and post back.