meh, fluffville
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| tuxchick2 Oct 21, 2006 11:49 AM EDT |
Thanks to linuxprinting.org and Turboprint, printer and multifunction-device support for several major printer brands has been pretty good for a few years now. I don't quite understand the breathless "OMG it all works, mostly, except on a couple of distros, but heeey teh kewl" tone of the article. I think the author hasn't been paying attention. :) HP has an extensive line of well-supported Linux printers, and Samsung's Linux support and printer quality is even better. HP has been accused of pulling amusing stunts like shipping ink cartridges and laser toners only half-full, so these days it's not Linux support you have to be as careful about as the true costs of using the device, which comes after the initial purchase. |
| jimf Oct 21, 2006 12:17 PM EDT |
Also, it's not like the devices he replaced didn't work well. I have a Epson CX5400, and It's a fine printer under Linux with a specific utility package in KDE. Epson was one of the first to start contributing drivers for linux. I'm not itching to run out and get an HP to replace it. |
| tuxchick2 Oct 21, 2006 12:42 PM EDT |
Before I forget, I must share another HP rant. A few years ago, whenever it was that the SirCam worm was released, HP had this cute feature on new fax/printers where they would send you fax spam, in full glorious ink-sucking color. When you installed the printer software on winduhs boxens you had an option to turn this off, but it was not described as "please check this box to enable fax spams!", but something vague that did not make it clear what it was. At the time it was mind-boggling that any marketingdroid could be so incredibly inconsiderate and clueless, and even now it still registers in the red zone on my excessive-o-meter. I don't know if other printer manufacturers offered comparable features because most of my customers were using HP. Dunno why, they never did impress me for print quality, but there they were. As I think back, I sure spent a lot of time turning off "features" on Windows boxes. Nice little moneymaker for me. |
| mvermeer Oct 21, 2006 12:44 PM EDT |
My experience is with a Lexmark E240 which works fine. I went to the trouble of phoning and asking if it worked with Linux, and they said yes, sure, we support Linux. The printer came with its own Linux driver software on CD, which looked fancy but I never got it to work. But CUPS I did get to work, no problem... go figure. BTW linuxprinting.org seems to be a bit out of date: many more printers that work just fine are not there. Perhaps the working assumption is becoming that it Just Works. |
| jimf Oct 21, 2006 1:47 PM EDT |
mvermeer, I'm really glad that your Lexmark printer works for you, but users should be aware that Lexmark has traditionally been one of the least Linux friendly usb printer OEMS. Recently they started supplying driver information, but there are still some of the earlier models that are tricky or impossible to get working under Linux. This, along with their low end construction, make me reluctant to recommend Lexmark. If you're thinking of purchasing a new usb printer, and the difference is only a couple of bucks, go for an HP, or an Epson. |
| dek Oct 21, 2006 3:06 PM EDT |
Lexmark is one that doesn't work so well with OSS. Canon is another. I had the Canon LBP something and the only way I could get it to work with OSS was to share it through W98. (This was awhile back by the way.) The instructions given on Linuxprinting.org were sort of helpful but I ended up using a different driver because what they recommended did not work. Don K. |
| tuxchick2 Oct 21, 2006 3:30 PM EDT |
The Turboprint drivers work great for Canon printers. Turboprint costs about $30. Which doesn't address the issue of Canon's unfriendliness to non-windoze customers, and they use chipped ink tanks, curse them. But it's a good option if you need it. |
| 1c3d0g Oct 22, 2006 7:04 AM EDT |
Being the recent owner of an Epson R220, I can attest to their quality printing. At first I was a bit hesitant to purchase one, as I've been a long owner of HP equipment (they never gave me any trouble and just worked as intended), but since I needed to print on CD's/DVD's (HP doesn't offer this capability yet - at least, not in an affordable package), I had to go with an Epson. Everything works perfectly with the guten-print driver and C.U.P.S. I have an incredible control over every aspect of the printer, things which you could never find on a M$ machine or which aren't exposed to the user. Nowadays I feel that hardware compatibility on GNU/Linux is better than on Winbloze, and certainly with the "mainstream" products. |
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