Shopping for a computer printer for the first time can be confusing. What's the difference between a $50 bargain printer and its $600 counterpart? Spend some time and energy shopping; you're going to have to live with your decision for a long time. If all goes well, your printer may outlast your PC.

There are three basic factors to consider when you're shopping for a colour printer: print quality, print speed, and price.

Print quality

Companies often talk about print "resolution," measured in dots per inch (dpi). The numbers can be confusing because bigger is not always better; print quality also depends on the size and shape of these dots, and how they get on the page.

Once you get above 1200dpi, forget about the numbers and trust your eyes. Ask for print samples you can compare side-by-side. Examine black text for crispness and clarity. Look closely at details in the background of pictures, and make sure the colour looks natural, especially in flesh tones and bright, primary colours. Pictures should be clear, not blurry or fuzzy. If possible, use the same image and the same type of paper for each print sample, to provide a more direct comparison. Remember that you won't often use glossy or photo paper at home.

Speed

Print speed is measured in pages per minute (ppm). Printers usually have two speed ratings: One for black and white and another for colour, which takes longer. Some printers can reproduce a high quality colour photo in less than a minute; others take 20 minutes or more. Slower printers cost less, but beware: the first time you print out a batch of Christmas cards or invitations, you might wish you'd paid a bit more.

Price

Is a $50 printer a bargain? Not necessarily. The total cost of ownership includes the cost of "consumables" like ink and paper. After you compare ticket prices, find out how much it will cost you to buy replacement ink cartridges. Sometimes the supplies cost more than the printer! The cheapest printers use only one ink cartridge, which is no bargain; you have to replace the whole thing even if you've only used up all the red.

Some printers work best with special papers and inks that have been "tuned" to match the printer and the ink. Epson printers using Epson inks on Epson paper provide fantastic results, especially for photo reproduction. But Epson printers don't perform as well on plain paper, which most people use most of the time. Consider the cost of paper and ink before you make your purchase.

Extras

Mid-range and more expensive printers may ship with extra software for editing and printing photos and other images. "Sample" or "test" versions of software like Adobe Photodeluxe are now standard equipment with most colour printers.

Some cheap printers do not work with USB, the fast plug and play connector used by most PCs. Others come without the cable needed to connect the printer to your PC. This adds to the cost of your purchase.

More choices

If you don't need to print in colour, consider buying an affordable laser printer instead of a colour inkjet. Lasers print quickly and they're cheaper to operate because supplies cost less.

If your home or office needs a printer and a fax machine, consider a multifunction machine that will serve as a fax machine, printer, scanner and copier. Hewlett Packard makes several good all-in-one units.

Finally, if you use business forms, you may need to buy a dot matrix printer that can handle thicker paper and print through on multiple copies.

Other options

If you're looking for a reliable, inexpensive printer, Lexmark makes two great models: The Z42 ($229) and Z52 ($279). The print engine of the Lexmark Z32 ($149) also lurks under the hood of other inexpensive printers sold by Compaq and others.

Canon's S400 model ($179) is another good printer that sells for a reasonable price. At the high end, Canon's BJC-8200 goes for about $429.

Hewlett Packard makes a range of excellent printers, from the entry-level DeskJet 648C ($149) to the mid-range 932C ($299) and the premium DeskJet 990Cse ($599).

If your interest is digital photography, Epson printers like the Stylus Color 980 ($389) provide the best results on photo paper. Serious digital photo fans should consider the Epson 875DC ($299) and the HP PhotoSmart P1000 ($449), which can print digital photos directly from a camera's memory card, without a computer.

(PHOTO: HP DeskJet 990Cse)