The Tech-pert: Back to School Laser Printer Deal

Inkjet printers are highly overrrated. They're slow. Their ink cartridges cost a small fortune. They don't print well on plain paper. And, let's face it, how often do you really need to print in color?

I think most students are better off with a laser printer, which can churn out razor-sharp essays and other schoolwork on dirt-cheap copy paper.

They're cheaper than you might think, too. TigerDirect, for example, has a Samsung ML-1665 laser printer on sale for $49.99. Shipping adds another $9.

At 13.4 by 8.8 by 7.2 inches (WDH), the ML-1665 has a decidedly compact footprint--perfect for crowded bedrooms and dorm rooms. It can produce up to 17 pages per minute, and it starts printing after just nine seconds of warm-up time.

Although so-called "personal lasers" like this one tend to lack any bells and whistles, the ML-1665 does have a couple. First, it has a Print Screen button that instantly reproduces what you're seeing on your screen.

Second, Samsung AnyWeb software provides a kind of virtual bulletin board for your Web browser, a place for collecting, organizing, and, of course, printing content from various sites. Sounds perfect for students gathering research for a paper.

The printer is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems, and it's backed by a one-year warranty. Just one thing missing: a USB cable. Before you go spending $20 for one at your local office-supply store, check sites like Meritline, where you can grab a six-foot USB cable for all of $2.79 shipped.

One more thing: although laser printers have a lower cost per page than inkjets, replacement toner cartridges can be expensive--often as much as the printer itself. They last forever, but it can be hard to pony up that $70 or $80 when the time comes.

Self-proclaimed cheapskate Rick Broida has been a technology writer for over 20 years. He has authored over a dozen books, including, most recently, "How to Do Everything: Palm Pre." Currently he writes the Cheapskate blog.