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From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith)
Newsgroups: mod.computers.laser-printers
Subject: One big laser printer or several smaller ones?
Message-ID: <8607242220.AA26346@phri.uucp>
Date: Thu, 24-Jul-86 18:20:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: phri.8607242220.AA26346
Posted: Thu Jul 24 18:20:27 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jul-86 23:48:57 EDT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: phri!roy@seismo.CSS.GOV (Roy Smith)
Distribution: mod
Organization: Public Health Research Institute, NYC, NY
Lines: 19
Keywords: cost per page, life-cycle cost
Approved: laser-lovers@washington.arpa


	We've got an Apple Laser-Writer here and are considering what to do
to solve our future printing needs.  It essentially boils down to buying one
big printer (I'm partial to the DataProducts LZR-2660/65) or several more
smaller ones (i.e. LaserWriters; we're committed to PostScript).  Based on
purchase price alone, there doesn't seem to be much reason not to get more
LW's.  About the only feature a big machine will have that a half-dozen
little machines won't is the ability to use 11 x 17 paper.

	From what I read and hear, the difference will be made up in
life-cycle costs; big machines are cheaper per page to run.  What I'm
looking for is some insight from people who have made this type of decision
before; which way did you decide, and what factors went into your decision?

	Obviously the amount of stuff you print a month makes a big
difference.  Right now, we do maybe 5000 pages a month, which doesn't
justify anything more than a single LW, but we're looking to the future.  I
don't know what our print load will be 6 months from now, but I would
imagine several times what it is now.