1 From the secondhand account, the reader gets more background information about what the Oregon Trail was. 2  From the firsthand account, the reader gets a better understanding why it was so dangerous.
Printers generally age more by the number of pages printed rather than by pure years. The rule of thumb has always been whatever the recommended volume is (for instance 5000 pages per month for a P3005) multiplied by say five or six years so about 300,000 pages would be the life expectancy of the printer.
To sum up: Paper can last centuries. Electronic records currently last about 10-20 years unless they are migrated to new formats/media. [Above: a closeup of a page from a Gutenberg Bible, about 550 years old and still going strong.]