Linux - HardwareThis forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Here is what I need:
1. something with Built-in Ethernet Networking (no need for PC) connects directly to the LAN
2. configurable from any PC (Linux or Windows), preferably via a web browser
3. color
Here is the optional stuff, nice-to-have but I could live without:
a. USB connectivity
b. Duplex (2-sided) output
If you have had good experiences with a make/model, can you recommend it?
And/Or
Can you tell me what make/model to avoid?
I suggest color laser printers. Though it is better to place B/W laser printers on the network and then have one or two computers hooked up to separate ink-jet printers. Print color take about a few hours depending the quality and quantity of layers used in the image. Color print outs from one computer will not be the same as the other computer even if Pantone is used.
Konica Minolta color laser printers are good and they provide open source software. For color print outs, make sure you upgrade its memory or upgrade to a hard disk for idiots that do not flatten the image before printing.
Do not get HP laser printers because they have problems printing PDF documents.
My main printer is an HP Color LaserJet 2550n, which has a built-in eithernet adaptor. Works with CUPS and every distro I've tried using Postscript Level 3.
Since the end of pin printers, I gave up on all other brands of printers except HP printers. Now with Linux, I still have this conviction.
New network capable (ethernet) laser printers are expensive and so are inkjets. Don't know about wireless network printers since I've never used one. Used network printers are a gamble.
HP has the new model 6940dt deskjet color printer that is network (ethernet) ready for around $180.00 US. It has the duplex function built in. Also has USB connection. It is also supported as a Linux printer by HP at their Linux website. HP printers that I have used have a switch for Postscript printing for PDF documents.
For 13 years I have been using duplex and lan printing (ibm 4039 12R) so those 2 conditions were a must. Now I wanted fast color and Adobe postscript 3. Many color printers use postscript emulation. These emulation work well but they are slow.
After some research and testing I end up with only one choice
Xerox Phaser 8550 DP
I got it about a year ago, I love it. One of my friend has a cardiology office. They have the same and they use it to print full color angios and do hundreds of prints a day. They also love it.
They support linux and they have some utilities but the only thing you need is the ppd file. When I got it (I had to wait because it was just coming out) I use the win2k ppd file. It works perfect.
I am running suse 10.1. (it also works under OS/2 and win)
The paper handling is excellent. I print all my envelopes also.
The ppd file is a Postscript Printer Description file where all the characteristic of your particular printer are. For example a generic ppd file may work (or not) on your printer but may not support all the features. The one that comes with the printer in my case the Phaser ppd file support everything like printer quality, duplex, paper sizes, Adobe PS 3 etc etc.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.