If you're in the market for a printer, prepare to be amazed. Printer prices have come down tremendously in the past few years, and with some new computers, they're even thrown in for free. Does that mean you should just take the $99 bargain? Well, you can do that, but in technology, when something is that inexpensive, it usually means that another technology has come along to take its place. Remember the last days of Beta? They couldn't give them away.

At the Staples site, use the "Choose and Compare" option to transform your screen into a table that compares the qualities and functions of different printers. That will give you a very good idea of the options available in this market. After you consider your needs and decide which printer is right for you, you can purchase straight from the Business Depot site, or try Computers Canada, Cost Plus Five, Future Shop, Insight and Monks. The Government of Canada http://ppmg.pwgsc.gc.ca/Ppmg/choose-e.htm has some useful information on choosing printers. Some well-known brands of printers are Hewlett Packard, Epson, Canon, Lexmark and Xerox.

The way to the future

Before you buy your printer, you'll see that there are some major decisions to be made, and then some minor ones. The first major decision is analog versus digital. Most electronic equipment today is going digital, because that's the language of computers. As the Xerox catalogue states, digital printers offer "flexibility in how and where work gets done. Fewer moving parts. Simpler paper paths. Reduced paper handling. And greater reliability." Of course, Xerox has a vested interest, but any objective advice you get would be the same.

Because analog printers are being phased out, you can get a very good deal, and you may want to consider buying one until you upgrade to digital. Or, you can buy a multifunction printer, which allows you to scan, fax, photocopy and print - all from one machine. The all-in-ones are certainly where office technology is headed, but if you want to start small, an analog printer can hold you over until you can invest in more machinery.

Elmer Sotto, manager of the Compaq Store, says he would consider looking to the future when buying a printer. "USB (Universal Serial Bus) is the technology of choice. The primary benefit of purchasing a USB printer today is to ensure future compatibility with your computer. Most computers today offer at least one USB port, and the trend will continue. USB ports generally allow faster speed, and allow as many as 127 devices to connect to a single port without any loss of functionality or speed. If I were shopping for a printer today, I would definitely consider a USB printer," he says.

The minors

Gary Patterson, executive vice-president at the Future Shop, says shopping for the right product is essential. "People must do their homework. There's a lot of product on the market in the printer category. They should make sure they buy what fits their requirements. If they're doing a lot of volume, they should buy something very stable for large volumes," says Patterson. This means you should think about what you expect your printer to do, and buy what you need.

Laser printers are generally faster than inkjet, and have better resolution. Colour lasers are coming down in price but may still be too pricey for home-office use. The drum on a laser printer is usually the first part to go and is very expensive to replace, so if you go with a laser printer, pick one with a good warranty and an excellent reputation.

Decide whether you need a colour or black and white model. The technology for both colour and black and white printers is advancing rapidly, allowing for good quality colour documents even at the lower end of the price range.

Make sure your printer can do the job. Consider the printer's paper tray and its size relevant to your printing needs. If you do a lot of printing, you don't want to waste time loading the paper tray. Also look at the printer's ability to print on heavier paper stock, photographic stock, envelopes and transparencies. Consider any special printing that you do, such as printing on 8 1/2 inch by 17 inch paper, having the printer hooked up to a network, or printing photos. Check that the printer's size and portability are suitable for your space and needs.

Connecting the dots for quality

Two numbers you will want to know are "dpi" (dots per inch) and "ppm" (pages per minute). Technically, the higher the dpi, the sharper and more detailed the resulting image. However, resolution is more of an issue when printing pictures and graphics. Resolution usually begins at 300 dpi and goes up to 1200 or 2400 dpi, with 600 dpi being very common. Speeds range from 3 to 12 ppm for single colour (black) and 2 to 8 ppm for colour. That means a 40 page colour report can take 20 minutes to print, worth considering if you work in a fast-paced office.

The cost of putting words to paper

In the long run, the actual cost of your printer shows in the expense of cartridge replacement. Compare the output of printer cartridges and their replacement cost. A cheaper printer may be expensive in the long term if cartridges run out quickly or are expensive to replace.

Glossary

Dpi is normally indicated by two numbers, such as 1200 x 1200. To compare the dpi of printers, multiply the two numbers. The printer with a higher dpi total will have better resolution.

Parallel port is the port or socket that is used to connect the printer to the computer. Ports are connected using cables, which are usually sold separately.

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It's a port or socket that can support many types of devices.

Quirks

Concerned that you are polluting the earth with your empty printer cartridges? Green Tec http://www.greentec-int.com/ will buy your empty laser printer cartridges and clean, sort and distribute them for reuse. Cyber Cart http://www.cybercart.cc/ performs the same function for toner and inkjet cartridges.