With the price of printer ink exceeding that of blood, I have thought of buying a dot matrix printer once again. My last one used only one ribbon in five years! Have you any suggestions? John Russell
Good dot matrix printers are still available. However, prices are relatively high because the hardware is not subsidised by excess profits from expensive ink-jet cartridges. The Epson LQ-300+ is a good choice, though the FX-80 - an immortal classic - continues in the form of the Epson FX-890. But dot matrix printers are still slow, noisy, dusty and don't do decent graphics.
Why not consider a personal laser printer instead? Prices start at £60-£80 (Samsung ML-1610 aka Dell 1100) for monochrome models and about £220 for colour (Epson AcuLaser C1100). The HP LaserJet 1022 looks good value at around £125, and there's a 1022nw with built-in wireless. The Kyocera FS and Brother HL ranges are also worth a look.
