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Quick housekeeping note: If you had trouble getting the headphone/mobile-charger bonus deal I shared on Friday, well, blame Amazon. Short version: Different resellers stock the same products, and sometimes the "default" seller changes within Amazon's listings. So if you got to the product page and Totu was no longer the selected seller, the coupon code wouldn't work. I'm told everything is ironed out now, but it's just something to be aware of going forward. And I'll try to remember to mention this when posting similar deals.
When it comes to printers, laser always beats inkjet. The print quality tends to be much better (especially on plain paper), the overall cost of consumables tends to be lower and you'll never have to experience the aggra vation of throwing away an expensive ink cartridge that's clogged or dried up because you didn't print for a month.
What, me bitter?
And if you're going to spring for a color laser printer, you might as well get one that's also a scanner, copier and fax machine -- in other words, an all-in-one (aka multifunction, or MFP).
Thankfully, "springing" doesn't have to mean "splurging," at least today: Staples has the Dell E525w color laser all-in-one printer for $119.99 shipped (plus tax). I have no idea when this deal is set to expire or what kind of inventory Staples has available.
The E525w lists for $329.99 and sells elsewhere for at least $200. (Dell proper charges $255.54.)
Two things you should know right away: Although Staples' product page says otherwise, this printer does not offer duplexing. Dell's own product page doesn't mention the feature, and a third-party review calls out the omission. Second: This may be the ugliest printer I've ever seen.
That's not a dealbreaker, of course -- it's not like a printer has to be sexy. I just find the boxy all-black design rather off-putting, to the point where I'm not sure I'd want this sitting on my desk.
Fortunately, because it has Wi-Fi, you can stick it just about anywhere -- like, say, a closet. And that Wi-Fi includes support for both AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.
The real question when considering any color laser printer is the cost (and capacity) of replacement toner cartridges. The E525w comes with "starter" cartridges, alas, each good for about 700 pages (way more than you'd get from any ink cartridge, though). But here's the good news: You can buy a set of all four cartridges (high-yield) for $50-60. And from there you'll be good for up to 2,000 black pages and 1,400 color.
The aforementioned review praised the printer's output quality and great connectivity options, but dinged its lack of duplex printing and low-capacity (150-sheet) paper tray. Of course, that review was based on a $329.99 list price.
At $119.99 and change, this is mighty compelling. I just need to find a closet that has an AC outlet.
Bonus deal: I cannot believe I'm sharing another mobile charger deal, but, well, hear me out: TechRabbit has the MyCharge Hub 6000 for $19.99 shipped when you apply coupon code CNETMYCHARGE20 at checkout. Although the capacity is maybe a little low by today's standards, this charger is all about convenience: It features built-in Lightning and microUSB cords and plugs directly into a wall (via folding prongs) for recharging. Oh, and it has a standard USB port for charging a third device. I'm a longtime fan of these MyCharge products.
Bonus deal No. 2: Anyone looking to outfit a proper home theater will need a proper stereo receiver. Like this one: Today only, and while supplies last, Meh has the Onkyo TX-NR545 7.1-channel A/V receiver for $280, plus $5 for shipping. It's new, n ot refurbished, and it sells elsewhere for at least $390. Notable specs include built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and AirPlay, plus support for HDMI 2.0 and UltraHD/4K. In other words, it's not only present-friendly but also fairly future-proof.
Source → Get a Dell E525w all-in-one color laser printer for $119.99
