There are a number of factors to consider
PPM pages per minute
Monthly duty cycle (Max and recommended)
Pages per cartridge
Then there are features such as duplexing, scanning etc.
Generally there is a trade off between purchase cost and operating cost, the cheaper it is to buy the more expensive the per page cost.
If you are going to be printing large jobs, 200 pages or more at a time, you should go for a higher recommended duty cycle.
You must also remember that they usually supply the printer with a half full cartridge
e.g. the
HP LaserJet P1005Print Speed (Black, Normal Quality, A4)
Up to 14 ppm
Print Speed Footnote
Speed specification per industry standard testing methods
First page out black (A4, ready)
As fast as 9 sec
Print Quality (Black, Best Quality)
Up to 600 x 600 dpi (1200 dpi effective output)
Print technology
Laser
pages per month
Up to 5000 pages
Duty cycle note
Duty cycle is defined as the maximum number of pages per month of imaged output. This value provides a comparison of product robustness in relation to other HP LaserJet or HP Color LaserJet devices, and enables appropriate deployment of printers and MFPs to satisfy the demands of connected individuals or groups.
Recommended monthly page volume
250 to 1500
Recommended monthly page volume note
HP recommends that the number of printed pages per month be within the stated range for optimum device performance, based on factors including supplies replacement intervals and device life over an extended warranty period.
What's in the box
HP LaserJet P1005 Printer, HP LaserJet
introductory print cartridge (average cartridge yield 700 standard pages), Getting Started Guide, printer documentation and software on CD-ROM, support flyer, power cord
The
regular cartridge Page yield (black and white)
1500 standard pages.
I prefer HP printers, the drivers are always available and you can go on buying the cartridges long after the printer has been discontinued. I currently have a Dell printer, which Dell gave me for free, in the hope I would recommend them. It's OK, but nothing special.