Get a Samsung laser printer for $50 shipped
The ML-1665 is one of the most compact lasers on the planet. Just be prepared for toner-cartridge sticker shock, unless you go the refill route.
This is an update of a deal from earlier this year.
Inkjet printers are fine for photos and other items that require color, but for everything else, the faster, cheaper, smarter bet is a laser.
Here's one that'll barely dent your wallet: Buy.com has the Samsung ML-1665 laser printer for $49.99 shipped. No coupon codes, no rebates, no hassles. And it's new, not refurbished.
As you might expect, this is a bare-bones, entry-level laser--not that there's anything wrong with that. It can crank out 17 pages per minute (says Samsung), and it delivers a solid output resolution of 1,200 by 600 dpi.
The ML-1665 has a 150-sheet input tray, 100-sheet output capacity, and a USB interface. It's compatible with both Windows and Macintosh systems. Like most low-priced lasers, this one ships with a "starter" toner cartridge that's good for around 700 pages.
Unfortunately, standard-yield cartridges (good for about 1,500 pages) are kind of hard to come by, and not exactly cheap. Plan on spending around $70, unless you go the toner-refill route (which I've never done, but it looks simple enough).
It might be worth the effort, as the ML-1665 does have a couple slick features. Its PrintScreen button prints the entire contents of your screen, just like that. Hold it for 2 seconds and you get a printout of just the active window.
The ML-1665 is also one of the world's smallest laser printers, measuring just 13.4 inches wide by 8.8 inches tall by 7.2 inches deep. If there's a desk that won't accommodate this little guy, I haven't seen it.
I'm not wild about the toner situation, but a laser printer for 50 bucks is just plain hard to pass up. Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Also at Newegg this weekend: the Iomega Select 1.5TB USB external hard drive for $89.99. The promo code on that one is EMCYVYN2. That's an unreal deal on a huuuuuge drive!