Simplest and most reliable printer for an iMac?
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From: Andy Hewitt on 9 Jan 2010 04:22 AES <siegman(a)stanford.edu> wrote: > In article <1jbor49.udq2fjj6xv26N%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > > > > > I think without doubt I'd go for the Canon Pixma range. They are 'photo' > > printers, and maybe cost a little more than the average, but I've had > > two now, and very happy with them (currently using an iP4500). > > > > Depends on what you want. Just unpacked and put into operation a PIXMA > MX860 multi-function unit for someone else: about a 3 hour job (and I'm > not a novice). Mac installation instructions are 37 pages long; eight > or nine doors and flaps on the thing; 5 ink tanks to unwrap (touchy > task) and install; multiple alignment routines to go through; > accidentally bump one of the 40+ buttons on the lid while opening it and > the installation software gets all screwed up; have to USB cable it to > install the software, even if you're going to use it via wireless; and > so on. Yeah, but that's very much a higher end MF printer/scanner unit, and I'd expect that to have much more setting up to do. The standalone printers just plug in and work. I didn't find the five ink tanks to be a real problem, it's the downside of having better economy with the inks. > Got it all working OK eventually -- but politely declined in advance to > ever have anything to do with it again, if it runs into problems. I doubt you'll get much better with anything else this complex. I'd hazard a guess that it was the scanner stuff that was worst. Personally I still go for separate units for scanning and printing. I have a Pixma iP4500 for printing, which took no OS installation at all (OSX recognised it and setup the drivers automatically), and even works just fine running off Airport Extreme. It's very economical on cartridges. For scanning I have an EpsonScan 4490, which also installed within minutes, and the EpsconScan software works very well, and is a breeze to scan strips of negatives. As you say though, it can depend on your needs, but in this case, I think the OP just wanted a 'printer'. -- Andy Hewitt <http://web.me.com/andrewhewitt1/>
From: TJ on 9 Jan 2010 08:49 AES wrote: > In article <1jbor49.udq2fjj6xv26N%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > >> I think without doubt I'd go for the Canon Pixma range. They are 'photo' >> printers, and maybe cost a little more than the average, but I've had >> two now, and very happy with them (currently using an iP4500). >> > > Depends on what you want. Just unpacked and put into operation a PIXMA > MX860 multi-function unit for someone else: about a 3 hour job (and I'm > not a novice). Mac installation instructions are 37 pages long; eight > or nine doors and flaps on the thing; 5 ink tanks to unwrap (touchy > task) and install; multiple alignment routines to go through; > accidentally bump one of the 40+ buttons on the lid while opening it and > the installation software gets all screwed up; have to USB cable it to > install the software, even if you're going to use it via wireless; and > so on. > > Got it all working OK eventually -- but politely declined in advance to > ever have anything to do with it again, if it runs into problems. Fascinating. I bought an HP Officejet 6110 early last year. It is a printer/scanner/copier/fax, connecting through usb. Naturally, it has a whole panel of buttons on the top, too. It was purchased used, of course, so unpacking wasn't the same as a new one would have been, but still I had to install two ink carts - one black, one tricolor - which took about two minutes each. Installation into Mandriva Linux was plug-and-play, and took maybe, oh, 5-7 minutes. It would have been quicker, but that was the first printer I had installed on that computer, and the latest CUPS software had to be downloaded and installed from the repositories. I can't imagine it taking any longer with a Mac, but then I have no experience with that OS. But the more I read about Canon, the happier I am that I went with HP. Canon may make a great printer, but they are too much of a hassle for me. TJ
From: Walter Bushell on 18 Jan 2010 10:43
In article <jollyroger-3F3611.10272002012010(a)news.individual.net>, Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > In article <hhnm8r$83t$1(a)news.albasani.net>, Red <red(a)neckspam.com> > wrote: > > > John Brock wrote: > > > My siblings and I bought our 80-some year old mother a new iMac > > > for Christmas, and her Epson Stylus Color 740 -- unsupported by > > > Snow Leopard -- is now junk. So we'd like to hear recommendations > > > for a new printer. > > > > > > We're not interested in speed or ultra-high quality photos or > > > multi-function; we're looking for robustness and simplicity above > > > all. We'd like our mother to be able to change the ink cartridges > > > by herself! Beyond that, we're looking for a major brand with good > > > OS X support, and not overly expensive (especially the ink). Under > > > $200 certainly, and under $100 would be nice. Given these criteria, > > > what would be the best choice? > > > > Get her a black and white laser printer--- forget the ink jet stuff. > > Cost per page is a quarter of ink jet cost per page. Unless she's a > > printaholic, the cart will last for years. > > > > There ain't no bad printers out there today-- though I would stay away > > from Lexmark. Hard to go wrong with an HP or a Canon. > > Only she won't get very good photo prints from a black and white (or > even a color) laser printer. ; ) May be just as cheap to have them done by a service. One can find services that offer free printing sometimes for hundreds of prints. Ink is expensive. -- A computer without Microsoft is like a chocolate cake without mustard. |