One of the most widely used computer peripheral is the printer. No matter what kind of computing you do on a regular basis, at some point you are probably going to need to print something out. Whether it be a school report, or a make or break report for work, having the right printer can be just as important as choosing the right computer. If you are considering buying a printer, then this article is for you. When you finish reading this, you'll have some basic information that will make the buying decision a lot easier.
First of all, it helps to realize that there are basically two kinds of printers. There are printers that are basically printers, then there are the all in one printers. The all in one printers usually contain a fax, a scanner, and various forms of printing capability. In order to determine which is best for you, you'll need to determine your specific computing needs, as well as develop some realistic expectations for your printer.
If you want the most simple, basic printer, that only prints documents, and a few photos, then a standalone printer will be best. Since you aren't getting any extra features, you can focus on how many sheets per minute your printer can handle. This can be handy if you print a lot of text documents, and rarely print any pictures of photographs.
If you are going to be printing photographs, then a printer's resolution, measured in DPI will be important. The higher the DPI, the better your resolution, which means the clearer the pictures will be when printed out.
If you need more functions that simply printing, then an all in one printer may be the best bet. For example, if you think you'll be scanning quite a few pictures, as well as printing them out, then you'll need to focus on getting printer with a scanner that has a relatively high resolution. Of course, the higher the resolution on the scanner, the more it's going to cost, so make sure this is something you'll use on a regular basis. There's no use paying extra for something that will only collect dust.
So depending on your printing, scanning, and faxing needs, you can choose the best printer for you. If you need to scan and print pictures, and want to retain the resolution, then a high quality all in one printer is for you. If, on the other hand, you will only need to be print black and white or color documents, then a standalone printer will be fine.