Frickin Laser Printer
Having finished writing her thesis, but needing hard copies for proofreading and revisions, it became quickly apparent that the old inkjet wasn’t cutting it. The pricey ink cartridges ran out fast, something like 100 pages. Or the heads got clogged, the cleaning of which also consumed ink. Or, enough to make you spitting mad, the printer refuses to print black-only if the color cartridge was empty.
So, last week I went out and got Julie a laser printer. I went with the
Samsung ML-2010. We couldn’t be happier with the little guy. I had to look around to find a decent price for it, though.
Often in Paris you will find certain areas to have a cluster of shops dealing in the same kind of wares. For computers the place to go is Rue Montgallet, just three stops from here. There are rows of little shops run mostly by the Chinese, I believe, with all their prices in the windows. At the bottom of the hill is the giant Surcouf, a chain, who is also the most expensive of all these. Unfortunately, Surcouf is also the only one of those that maintains a catalogue and prices online, thus giving the whole shopping experience a need for a bit of legwork. I was having none of that, though. I ended up going to yet another place, a “store” called Grosbill.com. This “store” is really just an extension of their website: you order online, either from home or from one of the dozens of computer terminals at their location. Then there are two machines where you put in your login name and pay either by card or cash. Then there is a cordon, and then a counter where some lanky IT student hands you your booty. I’m not in a huge hurry to go back, but their prices were low, as long as you remember to opt out of the 2 year extended waranty that they automatically add to every item you order.
Nonetheless, happy with el printo, as we’ve named our imprimante laser. The Toner will cost more than the printer itself, however, what with the third-full cartridge included having a life of 1000 prints, it’s easy to see how they are already much more economical. And it’s much faster, and quieter.