If your printer, PC, phone or other electronic device seems to be on its last legs, is it worth repairing or should you buy a new one? If you buy new, what do you do with the old?
My Canon i900D color printer lasted almost 7 years to the day, before the PRINTER JAM error message kept showing up, though after thorough explorations via flashlight by me and a friend, not paper was found. A search of the Canon site recommended repair.
I called the Geek Squad, who said unless I really wanted this particular printer for some special function, I should pay for repairs. But given the prices and current features, he suggested buying new.
My Canon worked great for years with great quality. After searching reviews online and checking with friends, I’m also considering HP….the number of brands, types of printers, features, and places to buy boggles the mind.
The next question is what to do with the old device. Freecycle is great for things that work. Fortunately the nearby BestBuy will recycle my defunct printer.
We have more electronics than ever, and it seems that they have shorter lifespans than they used to…so we’ll be making these decisions more often.
It’s too late for my i900D, but here are links to suggestions for extending the lifespan of your printer(s).
