Linux Format forums

guy · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:31 pm Post subject: New printer

Would appreciate advice on a new printer.

I print a mix of one-offs, colour sometimes useful, and occasional longer monochrome documents. Some for long-term use/storage. Scanner would be useful too. Networked too if it doesn't cost (mixed Linux/Windows clients).

Don't have enough space for two printers.

Ages ago, options were:
- Laser: expensive up front, lousy colour, cheap per-page.Over many years, toner sticks to plastic covers, etc.
- Inkjet: photo-real colour, but not waterproof or colour-fast (except Epson), expensive per-page (especially Epson). Canon, HP were the market leaders, Lexmark cheaper but had dodgy drivers.

Has much changed?
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Cheers,
Guy
The eternal noob

Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2354

I have a Brother MFC5895CW. Wireless and cabled network, prints up to A3 paper. Very quiet, LCD, SD/xD/CF-card slot, etc. Cost: 140 Euro from an average priced PC shop. YMMV! Best of all: Brother is fervent Linux support, albeit in 'binary blob' form (no source code)...

johnhudson · LXF regular Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:37 pm Posts: 767

A friend bought a wireless HP printer/scanner/copier which he is very happy with. Only tip: use a static IP address for it on the network - Windows in particular will be more comfortable with it that way and I understand it can also avoid problems with Linux.

Ram · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:12 am Post subject:

guy · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the tips - wireless sounds good.

Any thoughts on cost-per-page or ink durability?
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Cheers,
Guy
The eternal noob

Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2354

I disabled wireless, much safer... As for costs: just got it a few weeks ago and I hardly print, so lifespan of ink is a ? to me... Wink

johnhudson · LXF regular Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:37 pm Posts: 767

Cost per page really depends on quality - I have always used draft greyscale on my HP because it is barely distinguishable from normal greyscale and I usually use normal colour.

For anything long lasting, I have some very expensive HP paper and use photo quality and leave it to dry properly and so on.

Check out the HP Photosmart range if you want durable prints.

However, I have never checked cost per page - I tend to use three or four greyscale cartridges a year and one colour but, of course, some printers come with individual colour cartridges which saves money if you are doing colour printing.

Ram · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 12:57 pm Post subject:

Have look at this, my printer is a all in one C310

https://h30042.www3.hp.com/SureSupply/?AppName=EMEASupplyLP&loc=gb&lang=en&searchPrinters=c310#3

It tells you the yield and if you follow the add button to the check out it'll give you the price from HP and from other places via kellco
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Ubuntu LXDE 12.04 running on AMD Phenom II*4; ASUS Crosshair III Formula MB; 4 GB Ram.....

ajgreeny · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:49 am Post subject:

Just to add my two pennyworth, I have an HP b110 which is connected by wireless to all the machines in the house and seems to work faultlessly. It cost £39 from Currys, whom I would not go to by choice for computer gear, but at that price I was tempted. Ink is reasonable in cost from Amazon.

The HP drivers in hplip are unbeatable, in my opinion, and very easy to get either from your distro's repos, or direct from HP which I had to do as the default version in Ubuntu 10.04 was not sufficiently recent. Even that is so simple to install; you simply run the binary hplip-3-11.12.run in terminal, and follow the instructions.

A very good all in one printer/scanner/copier too, though we print very little nowadays.
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Ubuntu 10.04 user, and loving it!