Portable printers are easy to find—portable copiers are a little trickier. There isn't a real need for buyers to have a copier they can take with them anywhere they go. However, there are some situations in which a portable copier, like the Canon PC530, is exactly what's needed.
Printing and copying can be a major expense in the college setting; however, there's probably not a need for an all in one with faxing capabilities. In this case, buying an inexpensive printer and inexpensive copier that are separate might be the best option. If it's portable, that college student can take it to study groups, friend's dorm rooms or home for the two month long Christmas vacation. For people with situations like this, there probably isn't a better machine on the market.
Sure it's speeds are slow, but when it weighs less than 20 pounds and comes with a handle, what do you expect? The handle feature is quite nice, by the way, it pops in or out depending on your needs, and the input tray and output tray both fold in for portability. One of the reasons this machine is so small is the fact that it only uses one
Canon laser toner cartridge filled with black toner to operate. You won't have to lug around multiple toners from place to place. Plus, this Canon PC530 toner will last you about 4,000 pages, so you probably won't need to replace it often anyway.
Because laser printers are always a little expensive to maintain, remanufactured toners are available. These come from third party vendors and usually cost only a fraction of the price of the OEM or manufacturer's Canon PC530 toner. These will actually last the same amount of time, they just won't break the bank. Remanufactured Canon PC530 toner cartridges are so inexpensive nearly anyone can afford them.