If you plan to go shopping for a new printer, there are several key features you want to consider before making your purchase.

Inkjet or Laserjet? The two most popular types of printer technology are inkjet and laser. Whether you buy online or walk into a store, immediately you'll notice a difference in price. Laser printers are usually more than inkjet printers, sometimes several times as much. In an office environment, you can easily pay $1,000 for a laser printer. In a home office, you can easily pay $100 for an inkjet, even less. However, not all laser printers are that expensive, and not all inkjet printers are that cheap. I'm going to tell you the things to look for that will help you decide what you need.

Speed If speed is your chief concern, the laser printer will win hands down, every time. There are laser printers that can handle in excess of 34ppm (Pages Per Minute) and 22-24 is pretty much the minimum in today's world. That's not to say that inkjet's aren't plenty fast, some can approach 30ppm in draft mode. I've found most people don't actually use draft mode though, so you're going to get more like 5-10ppm in normal operation.

Connectivity Something often over looked is, how will you plug in? I have seen people that don't even know what a USB port is, go out and buy a printer that only has USB support. They return home and end up making a call to find out that their computer doesn't have a USB port. There's nothing wrong with printers that only support USB, but make sure your computer supports what the printer supports. Also, don't get a super short cable, pay attention to where you'll be locating your new printer, and get a cable plenty long enough.