[pete]

I've finally narrowed my printer choices down to an HP 1200se or a Brother MFC-8500. The HP is just a straight-forward laser printer while the brother has fax, scanning and copying. I like the functions of the brother better but worry that its drivers are not good and that I'll have trouble with macos (x and 9.2). Can anybody recommed either printer and share their experiences with HP and Brother printer drivers? Any experience with these machines?


They cost roughly the same so that's not an issue.

Thanks!

Pete

[Cowdog]

I have a cheap brother laser ($300-$400), I think 1270n, its a good small network printer, just uses apple's laserwriter drivers along with brother's ppd and has always worked in 9 & X even in PB. But thats with just a laser I'm not sure what sort of software comes with the scanning, faxing, etc.. features.

Only thing I've been trying to upgrade the memory on the machine and even through brother's online store I was unable to get any... but otherwise a solid printer.

[Walter J. Ferstl]

Cowdog,

regarding RAM expansion of the Brother 1270N, it uses standard PS/2 Simms, (i.e., 72 pin I think). These modules are very common in the PC and should be available in sizes up to 32 MB. The maximum uf RAM the 1270 can take is 36 MB (4 MB pre-installed plus up to 32 MB Simm).

pete,

if I were you, I would avoid these all-singing-all-dancing MFCs from _any_ supplier. If you ask around, their record in terms of driver quality is generally poor.
In order to be run alongside a Mac, nothing is better than a laser printer that uses the standard Apple drivers. This applies to most HP printers (as long as they are PostScript versions) as well as to Brother (again, presumably PostScript versions only).

Regards,

Walter.

[Macola]

Originally posted by pete:
<STRONG>I've finally narrowed my printer choices down to an HP 1200se or a Brother MFC-8500. The HP is just a straight-forward laser printer while the brother has fax, scanning and copying. I like the functions of the brother better but worry that its drivers are not good and that I'll have trouble with macos (x and 9.2). Can anybody recommed either printer and share their experiences with HP and Brother printer drivers? Any experience with these machines?


They cost roughly the same so that's not an issue.

Thanks!

Pete</STRONG>

I have a (non-Postscript) Brother printer, the HL1240, and it's pretty good for a basic printer. I would agree with the advice to stay away fromm MFCs--get a good printer, rather than an average MFC. The Brother drivers, unfortunately, are pretty crappy. However, if you disable the Brother background printing extension, everything should run fine (except, of course, you won't have background printing).

[rgruber]

Get the Brother.

I have an MFC 8300 hooked up to a G3 Powerbook and a Windoze box (it has both USB and a Parellel port that can be used simultaneously).

It's a great printer and a great fax and copier. I've used it for about 2 years with no problems. The drivers work fine. In fact, I haven't even had to replace the toner yet.

Rob

[Cowdog]

Originally posted by Walter J. Ferstl:
<STRONG>regarding RAM expansion of the Brother 1270N, it uses standard PS/2 Simms, (i.e., 72 pin I think). These modules are very common in the PC and should be available in sizes up to 32 MB. The maximum uf RAM the 1270 can take is 36 MB (4 MB pre-installed plus up to 32 MB Simm).</STRONG>

Walter thanks for the info.. I had just gone through the brother website and even talked "live" to some chat support girl who obviously had no clue but to look it up in the catalog and was no help.

With your info sounds like they're pretty common and easy to get. time to hit ebay

edit: btw really happy with my brother just hung it off a hub and grab it over ethernet, can't say anything negative about the drivers cause in X I guess I don't use them and in 9 with the laserwriter extension I don't notice them.
Have had some cryptic printer errors but I think thats a memory issue. Any sort of semicomplicated eps or pdf file seems to baffle the 4 megs it has.

[ 09-05-2001: Message edited by: Cowdog ]