New York, NY – Just in time for the various graduations, a printer might very well be a nice gift on its own or accompanying a laptop or other such purchase. Based on some of our most recent reviews, and some most consistently performing machines, here is our take on the ten top printers for grads. Most of the selections will be multifunctions for several reasons, but the main focus here is giving ideas for solid printers. Our only differentiation is in price with 5 choices in the under $150 price range and 5 at $150 or above. While some review sites may break prices into three categories, we felt that one split in price was sufficient. The prices quoted below are taken from Amazon.com.
Category #1, Under $150
HP Deskjet 2660
Price: $49.99
Printer Type: Single function inkjet
Notes: Easy to use, USB 2.0 connection only, high text quality, high-yield cartridges available (though they cost almost as much as the printer), made of 50% recycled material
Gift for:
Canon Pixma MX330
Price: $59.99
Printer Type: 4-in-1 (print, scan, copy, fax) AIO
Notes: 7.5 ipm max print speed, 30-page ADF, 1.8” LCD screen, USB 2.0 and Ethernet connections available
HP Photosmart Premium
Price: $129.54
Printer Type: 3-in-1 (print, scan, copy) AIO
Notes: 33ppm max print speed, 3.45” LCD screen, USB 2.0, Ethernet, wireless connections available, direct printing from a variety of memory cards, automatic duplex printing
Epson Stylus NX515
Price: $92.99
Notes: 3-in-1 device (print, scan, copy), wireless connectivity, four individual ink cartridges, 36ppm maximum, consistently recognized as a quality printer by other review sites as well (and it’s been out a long time)
Samsung ML2525w
Price: $109.99
Notes: Single function laser, 24ppm maximum print speed, excellent print quality, 12,000 page max monthly duty cycle, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity
Category #2, over $150
HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web
Price: $244.89
Notes: 4-in-1 device (print, scan, copy, fax), 33ppm maximum print speed, 4.3 web-enabled LCD touch screen, five individual ink cartridges, wireless or Ethernet connectivity
Lexmark Platinum Pro 905
Price: $267.99
Notes: 4-in-1 device (print, scan, copy, fax), 4.3 web-enabled LCD touch screen, 50-sheet ADF, 33ppm maximum print speed, wireless connectivity, two paper trays, four cartridge ink system
Canon Pixma MP990
Price: $171.95 (after rebate)
Notes: 3-in-1 device (print, scan, copy), 3.8” LCD, 11.9ipm maximum print speed, six individual ink cartridges, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, above average print quality
HP C8180
Price: $244.98
Notes: 4-in-1 device (print, scan, copy, fax), 3.5” LCD, six individual ink cartridges (includes both light cyan and light magenta), wireless or Bluetooth connectivity, superb print quality to make up for abysmal print speed
