9.2 Buying a Printer
9.2.3 Reliability
Reliability
Some printers are practically designed to have a short lifespan. In most cases these are throwaways. Some brands of printers are more reliable than others. In general, it makes more economical sense to spend a bit more upfront and have a durable printer. For example, it is more economical to spend U.S. $900 on a printer that can last for five years than $250 each year to replace a printer that is worn out or broken. In considering a printer brand, examine the construction. Is the cartridge attached to the print head? Replacing a printhead is much more expensive than replacing a print cartridge. Try to determine the ease of replacing parts and their availability.

Testing the Printer
Never buy a printer without testing it first in the store. Read the printer specifications and see how the printer measures up to those specifications when it runs. Observe how the printer will print both a page of text and a page of graphics/photo. A lot of printers cannot do both well. If it is a color inkjet printer, pay particular attention to the sharpness of the text and images. Some inkjets do a poor job with sharp lines.