[nycbug-talk] printer recommendations?

[Charles Sprickman]

On Tue, 15 Apr 2008, Josh Rivel wrote:

> Marc,
>
> Marc Spitzer wrote...
>> Well the list has been quite so what the hell.
>>
>> I am looking for a printer for home use, here is my hit list:
>>
>> 1: laser
>> 2: monochrome
>> 3: network ready
>> 4: duplex
>> 5: can handle envelops and other odd stock
>> 6: cost new under $300
>>
>> I am looking for something like the lexmark 250dn, but that seems to
>> be getting harder to find.  I also want fairly good toner life as I do
>> tend to print books on occasion.  SAMSUNG ML series ML-3051ND, from
>> newegg also seems to fit the bill.
>>
>> So what do you think?
>
> I'd stay away from some of the lower end Dell's.  I got a Dell 1710,
> then picked up a wireless adapter for it on eBay for ~$20, but
> it doesn't do PostScript, so it's Windows only, I can't
> print to it from my aging G4 PowerBook either (OSX 10.4.whatever)

I don't know if HP makes anything similar anymore, but I've got a Laserjet 
1200 that has been great.  I've had it for at least 6 years and we use it 
pretty heavily at home.  It can be slow on high-dpi images, but for text 
it's great and it's fast.  It was around $225, replacement high-yield 
toner runs about $60 which is nothing compared to inkjet prices.  I have 
not replaced anything but toner.  Page count is 15,079 and that's been 
about 4 or 5 toner cartridges.

I agree 100% on PostScript support.  It's just easier to deal with.  Mine 
was networked for most of that time off a little 486 POS terminal running 
OBSD 2.6 (the last thing I installed on it before the floppy died) and 
CUPS (IPP and lpd).  No problems printing from *BSD or Macs.

The little 486 died, so now I just share that and a color inkjet from my 
iMac, which is on all the time anyway.

I don't know if HP has gone to shit since I bought this, but I've been 
happy with their older products.  I keep a 4Mv and 4MPlus running at work 
with very little $$ and they refuse to die.  They are at least 10 years 
old and get used heavily.

Hope that helps somehow...

Charles

> I think that the print server is a rebranded Lexmark, but since it
> doesn't handle PostScript, it's useless in *nix, CUPS won't play
> nice with it. (Not sure if it will work directly connected via the
> USB cable, but that kind of defeats the point of having it on the network
> now doesn't it....)
>
> Josh
> _______________________________________________
> talk mailing list
> talk at lists.nycbug.org
> http://lists.nycbug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
>