Evaluation
Total cost of ownership is more than just purchase price and cost per page. To calculate the true total cost of ownership, consider the following factors:
•Initial purchase price, including enough memory to process complex documents.
Note To ensure accurate comparisons between products, be sure to compare street prices (or what the customer actually pays) rather than list prices.
•Warranty and service costs.
•Energy consumption costs. (Some manufacturers require you to choose between fast
•User productivity costs. (How easy is it to learn to use the product? How easy is it to print your documents correctly?)
•Special paper costs. (Does the product require special paper? Can recycled paper be used?)
•Supplies costs. (Do you have to purchase a starter kit? Does the product come with demonstration supplies that have a reduced life? What does it cost, in both expense and downtime, to replace supplies?)
•Cost per page.
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•Make sure the cost per page associated with a product’s print sample represents that sample. Some manufacturers may quote the cost of printing in a draft mode, when the sample they give you is printed in their best mode, which requires more toner or ink.
•Take note of whether special paper is required for the print sample.
•Make sure all the supplies are included in the cost per page calculation and not hidden as service items. Also, remember that supplies used during routine cleaning and
•Watch for other hidden costs (such as unusable output, which wastes toner).
Evaluating laser | 21 |