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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > OS X Printer Recommendations?

OS X Printer Recommendations?
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Mar 5, 2002, 11:29 PM
 
Given all the complaints here, I'm wondering if any printers work with OS X. Any recommendations of some that do? I need a basic all-purpose printer for use with an iMac 600. Do any of the all-in-ones work? Thanks.
     
<mugwump1>
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Mar 6, 2002, 12:18 AM
 
Canon Canon Canon. Very stunning inkjet, very fast, lowest cost per page for the ink out of any ink jet printer. Wonderful Mac OS X drivers, perfect mac compatibility. Go with the S500 series, if you can find it around town. They are very popular. Or the s600 series if you must. Forget Epson, with that ink that clogs and dries up without constant use. Expensive as well.
     
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Mar 6, 2002, 02:05 AM
 
Flash for you! Between us, my son and I have owned 4 Canons recently, and have now concluded that Canons are plagued with inks that clog the heads without constant use. I'll admit, I've switched to an Epson (love it), but still have print-head clog problems. OEM or third-party or refills, all the same.
     
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Mar 6, 2002, 12:36 PM
 
Given all the complaints here, I'm wondering if any printers work with OS X.
I can't speak for ink jets but I've found that OS X works great with
almost any laser printer that supports IP (LPR) printing. We have
HP's and Xerox's at work and I have never had a problem printing to
any of them.

At home we have an old HP LaserJet 4si and a LaserJet 5. Both
work quite well with OS X. I have also been told that most of Apple's
networkable LaserWriters work under OS X as well.

--ranga
     
<AndyUK>
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Mar 6, 2002, 01:44 PM
 
I'm in the market for a printer too. I've read that the Samsung ML-1210 is a good bargain laser printer - anyone had any experience using it with OS X?
     
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Mar 8, 2002, 07:20 AM
 
I like my HP dekjet 845c, but then again its only for light printing... prolly not great for hard use.

-Owl
     
dav
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Mar 8, 2002, 08:58 AM
 
i have a canon s800. works beautifully, no need to install drivers for os x. had it for a year with long periods of no printing and have experienced no clogging problems. photos reproduction on canon's photo paper pro is the best i've seen from an injet, and text reproduction is excellent as well. the only thing i'd recommend is using canon's paper products, i've tried lots of various brands (their paper isn't as readily available at stores as epson, kodak, etc.) and the canon paper is the best (as i guess it should be).
one post closer to five stars
     
dav
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Mar 8, 2002, 09:07 AM
 
oh yeah, and the six color ink cartridges are individually replaceable as they run out.
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Mar 8, 2002, 10:26 AM
 
Canon's due clog all the time. Epson's are LOUD and waste ink.

HP is the way to go!

"I'd rather kiss a Wookie!"
     
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Mar 8, 2002, 10:39 AM
 
Originally posted by Liea's Right Bun:
<STRONG>Canon's due clog all the time. Epson's are LOUD and waste ink.

HP is the way to go!</STRONG>
i like the way you spelt leiabun.jpg correctly, but goofed up the user name

i'm sure you had a good reason though. i mean, i'm sure there's meaning to it

"Have sharp knives. Be creative. Cook to music" ~ maxelson
     
dav
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Mar 8, 2002, 11:10 AM
 
Originally posted by Liea's Right Bun:
<STRONG>Canon's due clog all the time.</STRONG>
mine hasn't ever.
a friend has a canon printer (different model) and hasn't experienced a clogging problem.
one post closer to five stars
     
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Mar 8, 2002, 11:42 AM
 
I've had GREAT luck with my HP 932C.
- iMac 3.2Ghz 1TB - MacBook Pro 15" Core i7 2.3Ghz / 256SSD (Work laptop)
- PowerMac G5 - Dual 2.0 Ghz, 3GB, Soundsticks!,
- Lenovo Thinkpad T510 (also a work laptop), Win 7 Enterprise, 8GB, 320GB HDD
     
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Mar 8, 2002, 05:15 PM
 
I've always had issues with inkjets with both Macs and PC's no matter what the operating system. My setup for the past 1 1/2 years which has featured absolute rock solid reliability (except running out of paper)

HP LaserJet 2100TN
HP Jetdirect 610n print server card.

-ben
2011 27" iMac: Core i7 3.4ghz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD/1TB HD,
     
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Mar 8, 2002, 06:16 PM
 
I bought two new printers since I got my Ti 667. Got a refurbished HP G85 inkjet multifunction from Staples for $349 (usually $499). There are OS X drivers downloadable from HP. Haven't used the scanner, but the printer, copier and fax all work quite well. I am satisfied with it.

Also got a new Brother 1650 laser for $369 (usually $499) from J & R, who price matched Amazon. It also has OS X drivers and seems to work fine.
     
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Mar 9, 2002, 09:31 AM
 
Don't buy Lexmark, the drivers for OSX suck, I have constantly uninstalled and reinstalled them. I just replaced it last night with the HP PSC 950 all-in-one. It is a stand-alone copier, fax (built in modem), as well as reads three different types of flash media without the need of a computer. Once I got the thing up and running it seems to be working great. Unfortunately I have just gotten it and so I don't have any long term experience. I do remember reading that the OS X drivers where a little troublesome, so I downloaded the newer drivers for the 950 series, much better install than the drivers that came on the CD so don't bother with it. Very important, read the OS X MUST READ file, it will may your install go smoothly. The AIO is $400, and the best part of it is that most of it's features are stand alone, or you can use the software. No need to even start your Mac if you just want to make a quick copy of something, or shoot off a fax, or receive one for that matter. Super quiet, I didn't know they could make inkjets this quiet. I am not sure about the ink usage, but from past experience with other HP product, I don't think it is bad, at least better than Epson which I am also no stranger to.

Good Luck with your decision, hope this was helpful.
     
Eug
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Mar 9, 2002, 10:30 AM
 
I personally hate inkjets for anything else but graphics and photo printing. If you're going to do a lot of text, I'd suggest a lower end monochrome laser printer. If you do a lot of text AND graphics stuff, I'd suggest buying both if you can afford it.

I can also now recommend the Samsung line of laser printers. Their first OS X beta driver didn't run for me, and the second beta ran VERY slowly. However, their 3rd beta is excellent on my X.1.3 iBook. I am very impressed. I'd say their beta is better than most companies' release drivers for peripherals in OS X.

See here.

Unfortunately, I dunno much about their all-in-ones though.

[ 03-09-2002: Message edited by: Eug ]
     
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Mar 11, 2002, 03:44 PM
 
Well, found some problems, I can't seem to print from any of my web browers. Netscape, IE, Omniweb.
     
<Cubers>
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Mar 11, 2002, 11:58 PM
 
Originally posted by &lt;AndyUK&gt;:
<STRONG>I'm in the market for a printer too. I've read that the Samsung ML-1210 is a good bargain laser printer - anyone had any experience using it with OS X?</STRONG>
I've had the ML-1210 for a few months now, OS X drivers are still in beta. Printing was dreadfully slow until a few days ago when Samsung released newer beta drivers, now it is fine. Updating the beta drivers was a bit crazy, they tell you to log in as root to delete the old ones before you install the new ones.

All in all, it is a great printer so far, especially now that it prints at a tolerable speed. I use it mostly for text so can't say much about it's photo quality.
     
   
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