Ron Cohen wrote:
I've had numerous lasers and inkjets. For high volume text or b/w printing,
I agree that a laser is a better choice. Both from a speed and durability
standpoint. But, don't be fooled into thinking that you can print the rated
7000 - 10000 pages from a toner cartridge if there is more than minimal
coverage on the page.

My 7-10,000 page figures are actual numbers from two (relatively)
high-usage LJ4050s. Each goes through a cartridge in two to three
weeks. The users track the page count. Coverage is at least 5%,
probably higher because a lot of these pages have a 10% gray background
over half the page.

Most people don't print nearly that much, so they don't have a very
clear idea of the actual costs.

At 5% text coverage, a 16oz bottle of ink will yield more than
the 1300 pages you questioned and the cost per page would be a small
fraction of a penny.

It's just working backwards from my actual toner cost numbers:
$105/7,000=.015. (At 10,000 pages, it's closer to .01 per page.)

So the $20 ink bottle would have to last more than 1333 pages just to
equal the 1.5 cents per page cost of the toner ($20/.015=1333).

For you to make a global statement that lasers are less costly to run
than inkjets isn't what I experienced.

But it is what I've experienced with lasers, which is why I was asking
about how many pages that ink would produce.

And the comparison is a little unfair: using brand-new HP toner
cartridges in the laser, versus using refills in the inkjet.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA