Hardware Advice

[bishopsgarthstockton]

Hi,

 

We are looking at spending a bit of money in the Art department to bring it up to speed.

 

We are looking at buying, 1 x A3 color laser printer, 3 x A3 Scanners, and a Digital video camera for the kids to do video editing. Any recomendations?

 

 

cheers

[plexer]

Buy several HP k850's or something instead of an a3 colour laser. If it has to be colour laser look into an A3 colour photocopier rental instead. Plus you may be able to scan from it.

 

Ben

[Nij.UK]

We use Epson 10000+ for A3 Scanner, and they are very good and hardly ever go wrong aswell.... i dont think they are available now, but i would say def worth a look at epson for scanner.....

 

For the Printer we got HP 5500N... its a nice printer.... and its quick aswell.... but consumables are a bit on the pricey side.... but one set tends to last us for the school year......

[tom_newton]

Our colour laser here is a kyocera, not a3, but I have nothing but good things to say about it. Still works after a member of staff dropped it 3ft whilst trying to unjam the duplexer :-/

[john]

I will agree with the Epson GT-10000+ scanner comments, I think they still do make it (about 8 years on! Or at least something thats based on it) and they have updated it so its SCSI and USB 2 now rather than just SCSI which the originals were.

 

Just checked they do the GT-15000 http://www.epson.co.uk/products/scanners/GT-15000.htm or an 10000XL - http://www.epson.co.uk/products/scanners/Expression10000XL.htm They are also network connectable with a special box so that may be worth looking in to.

 

Printing, don't go near a colour laser, you want a colour copier, miles cheaper to run, and if you get it on a toner, parts and labour cost per page you don't have to worry when it breaks down, you just get the engineer in. The A3 lasers and A4 ones are stupidly costly and seem to fail to easily, I have a lot of CLJ4600's and they are starting to die as well as cost many many arms and legs. The main formatter board has gone in one and is on its way out in another couple and they all have only done around 100,000 pages which should be absolutely nothing for them! They cost well over 2K each when new but at that price its stupid. If I remember correctly I got a colour copier / scanner / printer which was A3, duplex, auto doc feeder and a ram upgrade for faster scanning for just over 2.5K so when you think about it its not that much more and you get A3 and scanning. Also you often get Job Management with them so you can print print print print and print some more and only let out what you want, saves wastage!

[bishopsgarthstockton]

Hi all

 

I was having a look at the epson GT-50000 A3 scanner today. found some excellent reviews on them too.

 

think it was going for about just over £600 so thats not too bad.

 

John..

 

Color photo copiers.... hmm i have had a look around and im struggling to find one at the £2.5k mark.

 

we have some hp A4 color laser printers here. the main admin office is about to give up which sucks as it is only just over 13 months old. Hp said they would repair it for £170 cant remember waht model printer it is, i will check when im back in tomorrow.

 

think i've made my mind up on the scanners. Art teacher wants 3 of the bad boys 8O

[plexer]

We bought some mustek A3 scanner only 300dpi x 300dpi I think but for £60 each not too bad.

 

Ben