3 Ultra-Budget Printers

If you haven’t already noticed, just about every computer manufacturer out there seems to have an offer in common — buy their branded laptop/desktop and get a printer free. As exciting as it may sound, what should tickle your curiosity is that, why are printers suddenly being so generously passed on to consumers? We have two logical replies to that question:

A. The manufacturers love their consumers and love going that extra mile to make them happy.
B. Printers are getting really, really cheap.

If you selected option A here, then you’re a great human being. Me, I’m basing this article on option B.

Yes, printers have been cheap for a while, but the good news here is that, thanks to obsoletion, better printers are getting cheap. While in my last feature on this topic my cut off point was Rs. 3,000, here I’m taking the ‘budget’ bit to a whole new level by bringing my cut-off point to Rs. 2,300. Which means that the cheapest printer in this feature costs you Rs. 2,300. Now that is cheap!

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But hold on there, I haven’t chased any ‘stinkers’ or under-performers here. All these printers are great for document as well as photo printing, which is exactly what makes the deal so sweet. What’s more, I’ve marked them with their very own titles, so you can focus on the one that suits your needs the most.

So check out what these babies have to offer starting from—

Best Disposable Printer:
Canon PIXMA iP1880

Wait a bit, by disposable I am definitely not suggesting that the printer belongs in the bin. The thing is that the actual price of the printer is just Rs. 2,250, and the price of the cartridges combined sums up to Rs. 1,815, which is just Rs. 435 short of a whole new iP1880. In this case if your printer as much as even squeaks, you’d rather use your existing cartridges on a whole new printer than bother with the servicing guys. Just a thought.

Don’t let that ‘disposable’ tag line dissuade you into thinking of this as a lemon, as the iP1880 is anything but. The iP1880 performed really well in all our printing tests and also did equally well in the speed tests. Good with documents as well as photos, the only thing disappointing in the iP1880 is its average print count per cartridge run. Check out our complete review of the PIXMA iP1880.
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Best Desk Candy:HP Deskjet 2360

Sure, the other two printers on this list look sweet, but HP has mastered the art of bringing out the best in white and gray plastic since the early days. This one, being true to HP’s reputation, is the cutest printer you can have on your desk in this category.

Besides just the looks, the 2360 works out pretty well for an all-rounded home, especially when it comes to photo printing. Using the bright Vivera inks, photo prints turn out looking vibrant, enhancing every color in the picture. The 20 page per minute (black and white document) output may not be the fastest in this list, but then again, it definitely isn’t a bad speed either. At Rs. 2,300, it makes a great option for a home printer.

Best Tree Hugger:Epson C58

The Epson C58 was launched as the ultimate budget solution. A printer that uses separate ink cartridges for each color and each cartridge would be priced at Rs. 250 a pop. What they did not mention was that extensive use can run cartridges dry before you can boast to your friends about the money you saved. What you do save, however, is precious paper, which you sparingly use in order to let the cartridges run as long as possible. Hence our eco-friendly tree hugger award.

Luckily, that’s the only major negative aspect of the C58. The photo prints turn out absolutely fabulous, thanks to Epson’s well renowned ink color quality. It’s definitely not a slow performer either, with document print speeds at 22 pages per minute. Photo prints, however are known to take their own sweet time, so don’t be afraid to go grab a bite when you set it for photo printing. Well what else do you really want at Rs. 2,200?

So the bottom-line is if you don’t have a printer yet, we just gave you three great excuses to buy one. Hell, at these prices get two!

Agree, disagree or just want to express your opinion? Go ahead and do it in the comments section below and our forums.