Do I need to bring a printer?

<p>Oh that's a neat system, didn't know that. Thanks.</p>

<p>Gah! I just noticed neither of us can spell "queue."</p>

<p>("queueing" - the only English word with 5 consecutive vowels.)</p>

<p>lol. queue. That word is so elusive :p</p>

<p>
[quote]
If people are printing long sets of notes or hundreds of flyers, they usually leave a note saying you can cancel to print what you need.

[/quote]

:eek: Does that mean that if you're printing something that is several pages, your job might get cancelled and you'd have to start over several times? Also, since printers are provided, do you need plain computer paper for anything else, or do you just use notepad paper for everything else?</p>

<p>By "long sets of notes," I mean loooonng sets of notes. As in 300+ pages. To cancel a job, you'd have to press the button on the printer itself. You'd usually stay by the printer waiting for it to print anyway, which should ward away potential competition. People wouldn't do it anyway, even if you go away. There's usually a neat (or not) pile of printed-but-not-picked-up pages next to busy printers.</p>

<p>There is enough printer paper for anything you want to print. They're in stacks in the printer rooms, along with spare toner. I take notes in notebooks, but I suppose you could use printer paper. (Unless I'm mistaking the term "plain computer paper" for something else, as the little voice says I might have done.)</p>

<p>The printers are all set to print double-sided, which is a bit annoying because it takes longer and makes your paper feel less impressive.</p>

<p>
[quote]
By "long sets of notes," I mean loooonng sets of notes. As in 300+ pages.

[/quote]
Ah ok.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I take notes in notebooks, but I suppose you could use printer paper. (Unless I'm mistaking the term "plain computer paper" for something else, as the little voice says I might have done.)

[/quote]
That's what I meant. :p</p>

<p>
[quote]
The printers are all set to print double-sided, which is a bit annoying because it takes longer and makes your paper feel less impressive.

[/quote]
Is there anyway to change the settings? And everyone else's papers are double sided, so yours won't stand out or anything, right?</p>

<p>Saves paper though I guess...can you change that setting?</p>

<p>Btw, how much do the Xerox machines charge for copies?</p>

<p>just buy an hp all in one printer/scanner deal. its worth it to have in your room. i got one for $100 at the u store a few weeks after classes started.</p>

<p>i <3 my printer, especially arround to deans date.</p>

<p>I think I might do that. I saw a laser printer/scanner/faxer a few days ago at Circuit City; they're not that expensive at all.</p>

<p>You could add two extra pagebreaks in Word, but I don't know how to turn off the doubled-sidedness. There's also a neat feature to print out several pages in one, which is especially useful for lecture notes in the form of powerpoint slides.</p>

<p>Photocopying is 10 cents a page for letter-sized, 15 for A3. You can use coins, buy a copy card from Firestone, or (I think) charge it on your ID.</p>

<p>But with a scanner printer, you won't need to pay for photocopying, right? So we're back to the oq - should we buy a printer for freshman year or not? :p</p>

<p>I didn't think a pinter was worth it since the pton ones were free, but I'm really considering getting an all-in-one type thing: scanner/copier/laser printer, esp since they're not too expensive. I'll probably print out longer things in the clusters, but for a few pages, it might be more convenient to print in my room. And I can scan lecture notes and such...</p>

<p>I don't have to worry about it, but for people with roommates, are you afraid that your roommate is going to mooch off your printer all the time?</p>

<p>i used my scanner a lot. it was worth having it.</p>

<p>you wont die without one, but they're not that expensive and they come in handy all the time.</p>

<p>Good to know, especially since I don't have a tablet. </p>

<p>Did you take more notes by hand or by laptop, jtiger?</p>

<p>O.k, I give up: What is "Dean's Date"? (Hehe, collegiate sexual harrassment? JK!)</p>

<p>I'm looking into the idea of an all-in-one for my D, but I'm trying to envision how much a copier and/or scanner would really be needed for a humanities major. I think a poster mentioned the convenience for science majors & what not. I suppose scanning images & paintings could be useful for a humanities type. I'm just trying to figure out how imp. this is, given the extra bulk of an all-in-one vs. a standard printer -- (& one more security cable to buy!)</p>

<p>If current P'ton students have any thoughts on this, it would help. :-).</p>

<p>Zante, I also worry about the roommate mooching problem, too. Unless this is an equally shared expense, upfront.</p>

<p>From trusted wikipedia:</p>

<p>Dean's Date - The last day of reading period; the day when all final papers and other written work must be turned in. Exams start the day after Dean's Date. So named because extensions beyond Dean's Date cannot be granted by a faculty member; they require the permission of a Dean.</p>

<p>After scanning this thread, I have the following piece of advice: DON'T BUY A PRINTER.</p>

<p>As some people have noted, when you want to print something, you can send it to queue at the nearest (or any other printer) and then release it when you're present at the printer. I thought this might be a little inconvenient, but over the course of a year, it's not a big deal at all. Just do not get a copier/scanner or anything along those lines. It's a waste of money, something heavy for you to lug, and, most importantly, will take up lots of space in your room. I guarantee you you will regret bringing or buying it. </p>

<p>Some people have mentioned Dean's Date. Unless you were in a situation where you would be screwed anyway, the printer situation is not going to affect you in any meaningful way. During the first Dean's Date, I printed out my stuff at about 10 o'clock at night, and had to wait for one person -- not a big deal at all, any certainly nothing justifying buying a printer (and losing the space in your room). If you're really that worried about waiting in a line, you can always send the document to another printer, or just e-mail it to yourself and print it out at a location where there are fewer people -- living in 1939 Hall, I occassionally printed in 1942 (?) Hall's basement computer cluster. You're going to be going by your college center and any number of printer clusters in the course of a day that I find buying a printer -- let alone a scanner or copier -- totally ridiculous. <em>Do not</em> bring a copier or scanner; you're not going to need it any it will only take up space.</p>

<p>I already have a printer so I'm going to bring it. Is there anyway, however, that you can set up a printer to connect to all your rommates' computers without actually moving the USB cable each time someone else wants to print?</p>

<p>Ha Tim, I thought it was only us up-campus types who don't know the number dorms.</p>

<p>You can set up your printer on a wireless network. This would mean all of your roommates having a wireless card. I'm trying to decide whether you'd need a router, but it just occurred to me that there's going to be campus-wide wireless this semester, so I think you might be able to share the printer on that and set a password so other people won't accidentally send a file to it and wonder where it's gone. So in conclusion - "try wireless, but I have no idea how."</p>

<p>Now I'm torn...my mom doesn't think I need one but I can certainly persuade her to let me get one. I think the mentality for a lot of stuff is going to be "wait and see." (ie. mattress toppers, rugs, curtains)</p>

<p>Yeah Zant - I don't think a printer will be necessary in our first year, at least. You can always get a printer in the second semester if you find you desperately need it, but for now, the "wait and see" approach seems best.</p>