Wanted: Network-Ready Printer for Student Abuse

I'd look at some of the http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/generic_store/generic_subcategory_view.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1068395530.1079483930@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccladckmhgghmfcfngcfkmdflldfjk.0&landing=generic&category=laserjets&subcat1=mid_range&cat_level=1&browse_link=true. For black text, your cost per page will be about 2-3 cents (versus 10 cents on an inkjet). Ours have stood up to amazing abuse at the hands of college students and not missed a beat.

Sorry, I should have said, we are biplatformic, PC and Macs, the printer will run off a Windows 2000 server. And to answer bonaldi's question, it was donated to our high school library by a Masonic lodge 10 years ago and we were ever so grateful....:)

Start by looking at HP laser printers, choose the one that is most suitable for your needs from their range, then stop looking and buy it.

Or, if you can find a used one, i'd second the call for the 4MV. They really last forever.

Lynsey: I don't know about being network-ready but, thanks to the advice in http://metatalk.metafilter.com/mefi/4480 I bought a http://www.explosivelabs.com/reviews/samsung_ml-1710/ (but go to the official Samsung web site, if you're interested, to look at the full specs and manual) for around $200 (including a full replacement toner cartridge) and it's been fantastic. It's mono and a little noisy starting up but it's fast, robust and savvy. There's a lot of good advice in the thread too. Good luck!

I For lab use, stick with HP.3>

The printers that have served us the best (high school) are HP laser printers in the 4 and 5 series. The toner is readily available and usually way cheaper than other varieties. Some of the 5 series have networking built-in, if not you can get one of http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3084055679&category=20322 which has worked well for us too. In a new school in the district, we are using HP 1300Ns. Stay away from InkJets if you can. The cost of ink is prohibitive in a high-volume enviroment severely increasing the total cost of ownership of the device. On top of that several models that we bought came with "best if used by" dates as they are all starting to die around age 4.

By networked, do you mean plugged into a Windows machine and then shared to the network, or actually physically plugged into the network?

I meant plugged into the network. The old printer had a HP Jetdirect 150 (serial port) which of course, is way too old skool for the new fancy schmancy HP Laser Jet 1300n that I ordered just before MeFi went offline earlier today! Yes! Thanks everyone for your help. New printer is on the way; free shipping, too!