I bit the bullet and bought one of these Brother P-touches on ebay. For some reason I thought buying this used model for $20 and paying $8 shipping was a great deal.
But actually, on Amazon I could have gotten a newer version, unused, with a full reel of tape for $20 and free shipping.
Anyway, it works awesome, and so simple to use.
The last label maker I used was one of those Dymo guns in the 70's. Seems like label makers have come a long way since then. I'm now struggling with the big decision, white on black or black on white.