You would never want your point of sale system to be down because you ran out of paper. Receipt and remote printers are the parts of your point of sale system most prone to failure. The same is true with regard to not have a supply of ribbons to use when your existing ribbon gets too light to read. This is also true for why buy an all in one printer. Using the standard parallel printer connection for your receipt printer gives you the option to utilize the serial and USB connections for other peripheral devices that will not work on a parallel interface. If you own a printer that takes ink cartridges, you’re probably not aware of some the problems, profits and legalities that surround these essential items.
In most cases, they send the printer off for repair and never get beyond the simple repairs that can be done locally. Which is similar to why buy an all in one printer most of the time. Virtually every major printer manufacturer has been involved in lawsuits regarding the sale and use of re-manufactured inkjet or laser printer ink cartridges. To check to see if your computer does have a parallel connection look at the bank of connections generally found in the back of your computer.
Even with your prepaid service agreement the technician has drive time to your place of business or there is shipping time if you are more than a day of travel from the service provider’s office. In 2005, Lexmark won a suit that gives the company the authority under patent and contract law to enforce the “single use only” policy that’s written on the boxes in which their cartridges are packaged. Since receipt printers are always located next to the point of sale terminal, long distance cable runs are not an issue.
This makes many of them interchangeable with other makes and models. Those buying printer ink cartridges in the UK and elsewhere are advised to investigate the policies surrounding the reuse or refill of these indispensable items before engaging in this practice. Usually this is the exact opposite of pros and cons of all in one printers. This helps greatly with receipt printers as it keeps the printer cable securely in place and difficult to accidentally come loose.
Please be sure before you buy that the printer truly will work with multiple interfaces. As always, check with your point of sale software vendor to make sure that they support parallel receipt printers. You are not as stressed by having your point of sale system be crippled by a down printer.
