I don't know anything about laser memory requirements, for complex pages. Especially since ghostscript will be converting to a pixel image. GDI requires MS-Windows software to drive it. I don't think Linux does this yet. But some GDI printers have an 'upgrade to normal printer add-in'.
Printer cables can be quite long, but beware of total length, with switch-boxes.
If you are lucky, you can avoid buying an expensive, bulky and messy printer, and use the printer at College, or work. Get a second disk, and keep YOUR files on floppies. Label the floppies 9601-Jan, and keep backups of them on an ext2 disk. Take TAPE backups of that ext2 disk. Collect all the ftp files you found.