I'll be back in San Pedro in October and although mostly relaxing, I will be working a couple days a week remotely during my 6 week stay. I'm trying to determine if I'll bring a small portable printer/ scanner. I don't have a lot of printing to do but will need to on occasion, same with scanning.

Can anyone tell me -- if I don't bring one, where would I be able to print around town? I know there's not a kinkos around - thank goodness! But do any of the cyber cafes also have printers and scanners? And if they do, anyone know prices?

THANKS.

Sheryl

Hi Sheryl - Save yourself a headache and bring down a complete print/scan/fax machine with some backup print ink cartridges. I gets expensive quickly to go to the shops for this work. I tried to do the outsource method for a bit, but it piled up in a hurry. The cost, PLUS the ease of staying at your desk,is well worth the initial investment. Customs is negligible compared to the markup of buying product in Belize.

On the other side, the cyber cafes, graphic stores do a good job at reproduction and transmission of your work. There are several that do what you are seeking. Just put your stuff on a flash drive & take it down to the store.

For my buck, it works better to have the equipment inhouse.

We brought two of the HP PSC (printer, scanner, copiers) with us 3 years ago. We have not even opened the second one yet. They are HP PSC 1300 series. The black carts are very easy to refill as well to save cash. Carts here in PG are around 100 BZE each.

Why bother lugging a printer/scanner for just a few weeks - unless you're moving permenantly then I agree. Gecko Graphics on Bucaneer Street and Mousepad on front Street offer these services, as will most Internet Cafe's. Gecko's prices - I know as my wife runs it - are b/w prints .50c per, colour $1.50 per with scans free if printing, or as mentioned best of all bring a USB flash drive to print from.

Thats a lot of prints before you recoup the cost and make savings by buying a printer - and not so expensive as Stillromin makes out perhaps.

I wouldn't say that too loud here. If you mention that you intend to work remotely from AC and Chris from Advantage Realty might turn you in to immigration.

Don't forget that if you will later want to print something but don't actually need the paper copy while you're here in Belize, you can get software that's capable of writing a *.pdf file (lots available, including some free ones) and just save that to your disk. Then print it once you're back home.

And if you're only going to want to scan the odd document, then do use Gecko (rather than Mousepad, whose scanner seems interminably slow). Bring a couple of decent size flash drives.

Alternatively, bring a cheap flatbed scanner and plan on leaving it here (selling it) when you return.

...which is against the law, right? while i don't think he'd turn anyone in for anything, we did read while on the island that the GOB is cracking down on all illegals of all nationalities.

watching House Hunters international, the couple i saw moved there on the retirement plan (into a gorgeous huge beach-front home) and she was telecommuting from day 1. far as i know, that is against the law. i doubt (tho could be wrong) she was paying income taxes in belize.

then you wonder why there is no tax $ left over for town improvements?

now - back to the topic?

Would you have to pay duty on a printer/scanner. I wouldn't think so if they were accompaning your laptop. After all they don't charge duty on your laptop everytime you bring it in.

As goes the debate.

It depends on what you tell them you are going to do with it, and if they believe you.