<p>Hey y'all! I'm looking for a small, compact (and preferably cheap) printer for my dorm room that will work with my PC. Since I'm not a techy, I have a hard time navigating all the different printer options available. Does anybody have a suggestion? Should I go laser or ink jet? Wireless? Thank you!</p>
<p>Laser costs more initially but tends to cost less per page. But there are maintenance costs sometimes. Laser is also faster. But they tend to be bigger. Which can be a big deal in a dorm room. Also, to buy one that prints color can be really really expensive
Ink jet is your typical ink printer. It can cost a lot per page if you print in color but it’s barely more expensive if you print in only black.</p>
<p>Your best bet is to go with an ink jet. With both wireless and wired options. I’d suggest the HP Deskjet 1050 All-in-One Printer. I think it’s what my family has. It’s a bit clunky but it works as a scanner and copier too which is always great. It’s also around $50 so it should be in budget if you’re getting a printer.</p>
<p>If you have a smart phone, get the Cam Scan app on your phone. It’s free in the app store, and is basically a portable scanner that can also email or upload to Google Drive, PDFs of the scanned documents to other people. I use it all the time, and it’s great. </p>
<p>Anyways, since I use this [url=<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/HP-Deskjet-Printer-CH340A-B1H/dp/B003YGZIY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373130345&sr=8-1&keywords=printer]printer.[/url”>http://www.amazon.com/HP-Deskjet-Printer-CH340A-B1H/dp/B003YGZIY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373130345&sr=8-1&keywords=printer]printer.[/url</a>] So far, it’s been awesome and I think I’ve spent around $40 in total on ink after one year of college. I’m not sure if it’s the most cost effective solution, but the printer is relatively small and reliable. I’m not much of a fan of wireless printers (too much of a hassle IMO), so the fact that this uses a USB cable to connect to my laptop is awesome.</p>
<p>I’m going against SerenityJade and would warn you off the HP Deskjet 1050. I currently have that and it is very finicky. The scan function won’t work unless it’s connected to WiFi, and it hasn’t connected to WiFi since I updated one of the drivers I need so I could actually print. The printing sometimes work, but the low ink warnings no longer work (it’s said I have low ink for the past three cartridge changes, even though I did the thing where it print a page you have to let it scan). Sometimes the printing refuses to do anything, detects non-existant paper jams, or reprints a page days later. However, the copy function works just fine! Oh, and I’ve had the printer for less than a year.
On an actual suggestion, I’m currently looking at the Canon PIXIMA MG3220. It’s fairly compact, and sells for under $60 on Amazon (it’s around $20 more at Staples). It’s always had good luck with Canon printers, so come payday I think I’ll buy it. (Oh God, I sound like my mother. Thinking about buying a printer on payday).</p>