The issue really lies with the buyer and the seller. The buyer wants a printer so trots off to PC world and says I want a printer. The seller leans towards what could I sell them which would get me the most profit. At no point are the right questions asked such as:-
What's your budget?
Do you really need color?
How often are you going to use the printer?
What environment is it going to be used in?
Is print speed a concern?
Is functionality a requirement?
What is the running costs?
It goes on and on...
Laser printers are almost given away nowerdays that offer excellent quality and function however if considering going down the laser route you really need to do your homework on cartridge and fuser replacement. Fusers alone can cost just as much as a new direct replacement printer which comes with warranty. Also; new laser printers usually do not come with full yield cartridges therefore don't last long.
Ink Jet printers have come along way what with super fine heads and built in functionality such as PicBridge, WiFI, Bluetooth, built in scanner, print to DVD etc however they are very problematic if not being used regular as the ink tends to dry in the jets therefore requiring nozzle head and deep cleaning more ofter than not which uses excessive ink. Thankfully we no longer need to use origional chiped cartridges as 3rd party cartridges can be purchased very cheaply on auction sites.
Dust is also an issue with ink jet therefore strongly recommend a printer cover to be used when not in use.
I spent several years professionally fixing both InkJet and Laser printers amongst many other PC related devices but in this day and age its rarely cost effective to repair them anymore..