Equipment pricing is quoted monthly because monthly sounds small. The number that matters is the one across the whole term, and almost nobody multiplies it out before agreeing to it.
There's no showroom behind this. We don't move boxes and we don't take a position on which brand you end up with — we tell you what the arithmetic says and introduce you onward if it warrants it.
Run The NumbersNeither column is villainous. They are simply built around different incentives, and knowing which one you are inside changes what questions are worth asking.
| Going straight to a supplier | Getting a read first | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the comparison | The supplier picks which options sit beside each other. | You arrive already knowing the range your figure sits in. |
| What the term looks like | Presented as a monthly amount, almost always. | Multiplied out across the full commitment, in advance. |
| Page volume | Often estimated on your behalf, sometimes generously. | Taken from your own counter before anything is priced. |
| If the answer is "stay put" | Rarely the recommendation, for obvious reasons. | A completely normal outcome, and the conversation ends there. |
Put in what you have been offered. This does nothing clever — it multiplies, which is exactly the step that tends to get skipped.
Arithmetic only. It does not know what your quote includes, which is why the cost-per-page line below it is worth reading twice.
None of this needs to be exact. Approximate answers still change the conclusion.
Had something from us? Replying there takes the least effort and keeps it all on one thread. Otherwise, this arrives at the identical place.