Summary

4 IT Essentials: PC Harware and Software Companion Guide■Reliability■CostCapacity and SpeedPrinter capacity and speed are factors to consider when selecting a printer. Inkjet printersare usually slower, but they might be adequate for a home or small office. A printer’s speedis measured in pages per minute (ppm). The speed of an inkjet printer is 2 to 6 ppm. Thespeed of a laser printer is 8 to 200 ppm.Color or Black and WhiteA computer monitor produces colors through the additive mixing of dots that are displayedon the screen. The eye picks up the colors directly. The dots produce the color range usingred, green, and blue (RGB) dots.A printer produces colors using subtractive mixing. The eye sees a color that reflects fromthe combination of colors on the paper.The choice between a black-and-white printer and a color printer depends on your customer’sneeds. If your customer is primarily printing letters and does not need color capability,a black-and-white printer is sufficient. However, an elementary school teacher mightneed a color printer to add excitement to lessons.QualityThe quality of printing is measured in dots per inch (dpi). The more dpi, the higher the resolution.When the resolution is higher, text and images are usually clearer. To produce thebest high-resolution images, you should use both high-quality ink or toner and high-qualitypaper.ReliabilityA printer should be reliable. Because there are so many types of printers on the market, youshould research the specifications of several printers before selecting one. Here are some ofthe options available from the manufacturer:■Warranty: Identify what is covered in the warranty.■■Scheduled servicing: Servicing is based on expected usage. Information is found inthe manual or on the manufacturer’s website.Mean time between failures (MTBF): The average length of time that the printer willwork without failing. You typically can find this information in the manual or on themanufacturer’s website.