Printers need replacing.

[happyhacker]

We have a mix of inkjets and it's costing us £100/month. So we are seeking advice to get our strategy right.

We need two printers, 1 up and 1 downstairs. I assume they will be the same make. Have just installed the SBS server and have some queries:

1. Our network is wired and wireless so if we connect wired I assume the server cannot control the printer. Am I right?

2. What are the merits of connecting the printers through the server and is there a choice of interfaces e.g. Eth., wireless or USB?

3. Anyone have experience of choosing Laser or Jet?

4. I've always admired Panasonic electronics but any other suggestions welcome especially if someone has done some costing.

Our budget is likely to be £300 - £500 for both.

Thanks for your time.

 

[JackOfSomeTrades]

1) Why would the server not be able to 'control' the printer if it were wired?
As long as the printer is on the same network (or has a route to the network its on), then it can be managed, regardless of the way it connects to the LAN.

2) centralised management, prioritising jobs, etc.....
If someone sent a 1000 page job by mistake, you can stop and delete it from a Queue on the server as soon as you know about it. If each PC is setup to print directly to the printer (noth through the Server), you have to know who sent it, where they sit, and that they're logged on to their PC (not locked) to cancel the job.

3) Depends on what you're printing - for a business I would recommend Laser everytime - but you might not print that much, and may not need the quality of an laser.

4) I have nearly always used HP's - on the whole they're pretty good - no doubt someone on here will have a nightmare story to tell though... As I have about OKI's and Epson's. We all have our own experiences...!

To be honest, I'm not up on printer costs - do you need colour? Do you need A3? Make sure you buy ones with NIC's in them - print servers (attach to the USB port on the printer to ocnvert it to Ethernet) are a pain in the ass most of the time...

Cheers, Mark

 

[ao3]

I have a client that bought desktop ink jets for users 10 of them. The printers are cheap like $25-$30. The ink was not $50-$60.

1. Go wired.
2. Management through the server. If you have any problems, need to update drivers, change settings(like have a color print BW default).
3. I would go laser. I have had more problems with ink then laser.
4. Use a named brand, check for drivers, special printing needs by users or applications (accounting may need to print checks).