Printers, like computers, come and go with the times. But unlike computers, printers don't change by all that much. They did go from line by line printing to progressive printing and from a series of connected dots to a solid color image, but these days it's simply a matter of a little faster or holding a bit more paper. As such, it might or might not be worthwhile to change out your Xerox Phaser 4500 printer, especially as the Xerox Phaser 4500 toner meets the needs of the most demanding of professionals.
First off, it's monochromatic (that is, it prints in only black and white) and second, it's a laser jet. That means this model was designed for office printing, as most Xerox printers are, so it's one of those models that's great for printing hundreds of reports or resumes, but not so much for printing color photos and detailed images. Since there are models out there that do just that, this model is actually outdated.
Being obsolete means you won't find it on the shelves in your typical store. You'd have to buy it used either online or at an electronics resale store of some kind. If you're going to get a new printer, though, it'd be useless to buy this one new even if you could, as newer, more advanced models are generally sold at the same price.
It is an office model, so the idea of printing color isn't nearly as important, which is why this model was replaced by the Phaser 4510 and 5550, both of which are black and white. It doesn't, however, put out the same pages per minute (or ppm) and other such specifications, so if you need a mass-quantity fast printer, then it's best to make a switch to an upgraded model.
If you don't really want to spend the money on a new one and just want to upgrade by smaller steps, then it should be a relief to know that the 4500 is upgradeable. You can buy various things for it, such as a bigger hard drive to increase the printing queue, and other such aspects that can be upgraded. Getting a few pieces to upgrade a few things may be cheaper than getting a brand new printer, so this may be the route you want to take.
Getting a new one isn't all that bad, though. This is because most places have a trade-in policy that allows you to trade in your older model printer to get a discount on a newer model. If you're printer is too old or worn or whatever the case may be, you may not get that great of a discount. That's the only real down side to this policy, as there's no knowing what your printer is worth.
However, even if your printer is worth practically nothing, there's likely to be at least something they can do for your case. Most companies would strongly encourage the transition, which is why they offer such a policy and why they will find some way to help. To be honest, though, it's better to get close to nothing than nothing at all if your old model is trash anyway.
Maybe you only need something basic, like the Xerox Phaser 4500 printer, so shopping for used versions might be best. Maybe you're considering trading one in for a newer model, but aren't sure if the transition is worth it. It comes down to each person's basic printing needs. Offices aren't usually picky, so long as the printer works. Chances are, it will get the job done just as any other printer would.
If you have this printer and you need replacement Xerox Phaser 4500 replacement toner, you have more options than just local retailers for Xerox Phaser ink and toner. Online merchants offer cartridge toners for nearly every model available, so this is always a source.
