Updated 23 May, 2012, 6:39 pm IST

Disposable Printers

10 Aug, 2006, 1:00 pm IST | by Gagan Gupta

Use �em, Dump �em!

Disposable Printers

The concept of Disposable printers has been brought in by the throwaway price-tags attached to the low-end printer these days. The thing with these printers is that their cartridge prices are almost as high as the price of the printer itself.Of course that doesn't mean that you should throw away these printers once you run out of cartridges (the chances of you running out of both the ink cartridges at the same time are pretty narrow). The theory aims more towards the idea that these are the printers you can well afford to throw away without feeling a pinch in your pocket.

Instead of carrying a printer along with you, when going on a business trip, you can simply pick one of these up from a local vendor, use it as much as you like, and simply discard it once you're done. Or even if you're a home user, and you encounter a problem with one of these printers, and it's out of the warranty period; you can simply dump it and get a new one.

These printers are perfect for regular document printing or simple home printing needs, where one doesn't expect too much quality. If you want great quality and features like pict-bridge support, wireless printing, direct memory card printing, then these little entry-level models just won't do.

If you're in the market for a disposable printer then now comes the good part for you. We've listed out some great options in disposable printers that are currently available in the market these days, to help your buying decision.

HP Deskjet 3940

HP's starter-level printer, the Deskjet 3940, is absolutely the cutest one in its segment. It's quite tiny in its 16.6 x 13.6 x 5.6 inch body, and weighs only 4.5lbs. It may not be a highly recommended photo printer out there but it will definitely satisfy a home user who wants to simply print out his vacation photos, cards or stationary.

Available at the street price of Rs 2,999, the HP 3940 is the most expensive printer on this list, but that's not so bad, considering that it does have the cheapest cartridge costs on this list too(Rs 702 for black and Rs 810 for color). Rest assured, the printer will look great on your desk and give you more than satisfactory print quality for your everyday printing needs. If you're looking for better speeds and higher quality in photo printing, then maybe you should check out this next model below.

Canon PIXMA iP1200

The Canon PIXMA iP1200 is not too good to look at, in fact we can safely go as far as saying that it would probably look better hidden somewhere in your computer cabinet than out open on the desktop. But once you shoot a print command at it, your perception seriously changes.

The prints you get from the iP1200 are the best among the printers listed here, and its definitely faster than the HP 3940. The price of the printer is 2750, which is lesser than the HP 3940 too but the cartridge prices are n the higher side (Rs. 1,000 for black and Rs. 1,200 for color).

If performance holds a higher value over looks, for you, then the PIXMA iP1200 is just right for you. Otherwise the HP Deskjet 3940 will definitely look a lot better on your desk. However, if you're only looking at saving money then move on to the printer below.

Lexmark Z615

The Lexmark Z615 defines the disposable printer category with its extremely affordable price tag of Rs 2,250. Since the cartridges cost only Rs. 812 for black and Rs. 884 for color, you aren't exactly left for broke by the recurring cartridge costs.

The printer is nowhere as sleek as the HP 3940, but it's curvaceous build keeps it from being unattractivelike the PIXMA iP1200. However the build of this budget printer seems pretty flimsy and the parts don't really seem the type that would last too long. Even the print quality leaves a lot to be desired. Though the above printers costed a bit more than the Z615, their print quality was way better. The good thing is that at its price you really have nothing to lose.

Tags: Lexmark , Z615 , Canon , iP1200 , HP , Deskjet , 3940 , printers , inkjet , disposable , budget

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