I was browsing around for a new printer for someone and found the following gem on Canon UK's support site:
"Where can I find Linux or other OS drivers for my printer? Canon only develops drivers for Windows and Macintosh, not for Linux or other OS"
Further, if you look for scanners: "The information for scanners is "classified" and will not be distributed, so there is no program for these products."
As some of you may know, I have been the happy owner of Canon printers in the past (both with third-party drivers) but not any more. Time for them to wake up and support us. It took people a lot of hard work to support the 4-digit BJ series and there's little interest in Canon's current crop.
What's the current best for supported colour inkjets? hp? My current printer is a Samsung that came with a penguin on the box and driver sources, by the way.
On Wed, 12 Nov 2003, MJ Ray wrote:
What's the current best for supported colour inkjets? hp? My current printer is a Samsung that came with a penguin on the box and driver sources, by the way.
Pick the lesser of the evils: support for the renegade OS, or being robbed blind by ink costs. I'd pick a machine supported by one of the linux printing systems but with a good policy toward ink - so Lexmark or Canon.
"If you are tired of being the screwee, pick a Lexmark or a Canon, they are the good guys for now." -- http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11365
Don't go for HP: "HP has built in time limits for its inkjet printer cartridges which means machines may stop working even if the consumable has 75% ink let to go." -- http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9220
Avoid Epson. I have one. It sucks [...money out of my wallet]. "Epson ink cartridges say they're empty even though there's still a lot of ink in them." -- http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=12334
A.
On 2003-11-14 08:50:45 +0000 Andrew Savory lists@andrewsavory.com wrote:
printing systems but with a good policy toward ink - so Lexmark or Canon.
Are Lexmark well supported now? All I can see are binary-only RPMs for some models at http://support.lexmark.com/en/ldk/Download.htm
They don't seem quite as hostile as Canon, though.
On the HP and Epsons, I think that the US have just ruled third-party reverse-engineered cartridges without limiters legal, so hopefully that will improve matters.
On Friday 14 November 2003 11:39, MJ Ray wrote:
On the HP and Epsons, I think that the US have just ruled third-party reverse-engineered cartridges without limiters legal, so hopefully that will improve matters.
The HP Business Inkjet 2230 is a fantastic printer.
Works perfectly in Linux has seperate user replaceable ink tanks and heads and the ink tanks are HUGE.
I've sold a few of them in the past and once installed you never hear about them again, they just work.
Of course this is designed for heavier use than a £50 home office printer. So it comes at a higher price, but like they say you get what you pay for. To be honest if I was ever to buy another Inkjet, it would be one of these.
Oh and Daniel, they do a Postscript card that fits in one of the expansion slots. :o)
On 2003-11-14 18:44:19 +0000 Wayne Stallwood ALUGlist@digimatic.plus.com wrote:
Of course this is designed for heavier use than a £50 home office printer. So it comes at a higher price, but like they say you get what you pay for. To be honest if I was ever to buy another Inkjet, it would be one of these.
This looks like a cue for a bit more detail from me: it's for occasional printing, but it would be nice to have photo-quality colour printing for camera pictures. We were looking at things a bit over £100, but Epson just changed their range on us and I remember past ink cheats of theirs.
It looks like the story so far is: Lexmark have patchy drivers; Canon are GNU/Linux-unfriendly; Epson have good drivers, but may rob you blind if the third party ink makers don't avoid the problem; HP have good drivers for most printers, but may do ink tricks too. I hate peripherals.
On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 20:13:21 +0000 MJ Ray mjr@dsl.pipex.com wrote:
It looks like the story so far is: Lexmark have patchy drivers; Canon are GNU/Linux-unfriendly; Epson have good drivers, but may rob you blind if the third party ink makers don't avoid the problem; HP have good drivers for most printers, but may do ink tricks too. I hate peripherals.
However I've had 2 Canon printers and both worked perfectly with Linux using CUPS and GimpPrint. I currently have a S400.
I think that this Windows only attitude is self limiting, because as the use of Linux becomes more widespread, then companies will have to produce Linux drivers or they just won't be able to shift their products. An occasional prod from existing Linux users probably wouldn't go amiss. :o)
Price of ink cartridges grates a bit but a colleague put me on to http://www.choicestationery.com. They sell 3rd party OEM cartridges which he has been using for a while now and he says he's quite happy with them. He did comment that they have less capacity than the Canon cartridges and that he felt the ink quality was not as good but when you compare the prices (for Canon ~2.50 vs. ~7.50) it doesn't seem to matter too much.
Anyway I've just ordered a complete set of cartridges for my printer an I'll let you know how I get on with them.
Keith
On Wednesday 12 Nov 2003 7:07 pm, MJ Ray wrote:
I was browsing around for a new printer for someone and found the following gem on Canon UK's support site:
"Where can I find Linux or other OS drivers for my printer? Canon only develops drivers for Windows and Macintosh, not for Linux or other OS"
Further, if you look for scanners: "The information for scanners is "classified" and will not be distributed, so there is no program for these products."
As some of you may know, I have been the happy owner of Canon printers in the past (both with third-party drivers) but not any more. Time for them to wake up and support us. It took people a lot of hard work to support the 4-digit BJ series and there's little interest in Canon's current crop.
What's the current best for supported colour inkjets? hp? My current printer is a Samsung that came with a penguin on the box and driver sources, by the way.
Samsung here too nice friendly penguin sticker on the front, works with cups and lpr perfectly. Incidentally the support for Windows XP for my particular model is flakey to say the least but that doesn't matter too much to me.
Cheers, BJ
On Fri, 2003-11-14 at 10:14, John Woodard wrote:
Samsung here too nice friendly penguin sticker on the front, works with cups and lpr perfectly. Incidentally the support for Windows XP for my particular model is flakey to say the least but that doesn't matter too much to me.
We have a samsung ML4500 and while it is a laser printer, it came with the penguin on it and works just dandy.
Of course, if anyone wants to donate a proper postscript printer to me, I'd be happy to take it.
D.
-
Andrew Savory -
Daniel Silverstone -
John Woodard -
Keith Watson -
MJ Ray -
Wayne Stallwood