Laser vs. Ink

greetings. i don't buy a lot of hardware as i tend to keep things
forever. while this works out pretty well in terms of getting my
money's worth it also puts me behind the curve when i do need to buy
new. so i'm seeking advice on a new printer purchase.

i currently use an old HP LJ 4Plus and an old Canon personal copier.
i'd like to replace both with a multi-function (4 in 1) printer that
will also print the occasional photo. i don't print all that much to
begin with so i'm trying to decide between ink and laser. this
printer would be for personal use, not business.


prior to the 4Plus i had an HP DJ500. the main problem was that the
ink nozzles would become clogged or dry out due to infrequent use.
when this happened i was able to occasionally re-hab the cartridge
back into service but more often than not i had to replace the cart.

question: am i going to run into the same sort of problem with
today's inkjets? i sometimes go for weeks without printing anything
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if i haven't printed in a while my 4Plus will give me a 'toner low'
message . to rectify all i do is remove the cart, shake it up and
replace it. for this reason i'm considering a MF color laser. but
the only thing i'd need color for (ink or laser) is to print the
occasional photo

question: when i print a photo i'd like the quality of the print to
approach commercial photo finishing quality...good enough to frame,
give to family, etc. am i going to get that kind of quality from a
color laser or must i stick with ink to achieve that goal or are they
about equal?
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the canon personal copier i have is actually pretty good...copies are
crisp and clean. the carts cost a fortune, though and there are no
paper trays. i have to manually place the source document on the
glass and then feed a single sheet. i use the copier a lot more than
the printer.

question: do the MF printers produce good, clean copies? is there a
difference in copy quality between ink and laser?
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the function i'll end up using most would be the scanner. i have a
lot of personal documents that i'd like to digitize in order to
eliminate paper clutter. most of these documents are text only but
i'd also like to scan in my collection of 2x2 color slides as well as
a lot of color and B&W prints.

question: what sort of resolution minimums should i be looking for in
the scan function? any other things to watch for?
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appreciate any and all thoughts on this as well as individual MF
printer recommendations.

73,
rich, n9dko