Like many things, where you buy is less important than what you buy, and knowing exactly what to buy makes the “where” irrelevant. I don’t trust the computer advice of anyone who can’t name at least three different Linux distros, and many retailers are not that knowledgeable.
When I go in to buy computer stuff, I already know what I want; the only questions I ever have are whether they have it and how much they want for it. Relying on them for anything else is a crap shoot. While I’ve run into geeks at Walmart, I’ve also run into morons at dedicated PC shops; there is no correlation between where you go and the quality/level of their knowledge!
Now that that’s off my chest, most printers assume a person of average computer literacy; those that know how to use a mouse but not much more. As a result, their installation is as automated as possible.
@Hawaii_Jake I’ve had pretty good luck with HP, and know others at a variety of skill levels who have as well. I think luck plays a role here.
@SQUEEKY2 I haven’t many seen laser printers that are as fast as most inkjet printers, and the price difference is non-trivial. You’re right about the drying though.