Posted: 11/16/2007 1:54:35 PM EDT
| My 88 year old Dad has a one year old Levono (IBM) think pad laptop running vista. He wants a wireless printer. He only really will use black and white for letters so I don't know which one to get him. He was in the infantry in WWII, a member of the greatest generation so I want to get him one he will like. Is there one he can run wireless from his laptop, or must I get him some other stuff to go with it. Any ideas you guys have will be welcomed. Thanks, John |
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There are a few ways you can go: 1. Get a wireless print server and plug a printer in to that. 2. Get a wireless router with the print server built in. 3. Or if you already have a wireless router with extra ethernet port get a wired network printer and plug it in to the routers ethernet port. If it were me because he only needs black and white I would get a cheap wired laser network printer, I say laser because operating costs are much lower than inkjets. I recently bought a Brother HL-2070N for $90 shipped from Newegg. My guess is you will find similar deals on that printer on Black Friday. |
Or a wireless printer (HP makes one) but you will need a wireless network as well. I'm wondering if there are bluetooth printers out there, I would think maybe. |
HP does make wireless printers but they usual cost more than you can find that Brother printer on sale for and the operating cost saving of the laser over the inkjet will pay for the whole printer before you use the toner cartridge that comes with it. There are quite a few Bluetooth printers out but Bluetooth is short ranged and will limit how far he can roam around the house and still print. Either way do not buy anything before the Black Friday sales. |
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I haven't used one yet, but they're making wireless USB hubs. You plug your printer, external drive, or other USB device into the hub and put a little USB dongle in your laptop. It's faster than bluethooth - it can run up to full USB 2 speeds. They're not cheap though. Here's an example... |