My Canon i850 inkjet printer, 3-5 years old (I can't remember the exact age) can no longer print anything, due to an unknown problem. I can't figure it out or get any explanatory messages (I've tried in both Linux and Windows), so I've given up, and plan to get a new printer.

Because I almost never do color printing (I think the only reason I ever did was to save black ink by using up the color ink) and because I understand laser printer toner cartridges are expensive but can last for thousands of pages, I've been interested for years in getting an inexpensive laser printer ($200 or less--I was surprised to find that they existed). But if I can't find a suitable one, I'll get another inkjet.
Can anyone give me recommendations for either kind? Back when I was given this printer, I still used Windows, so I have no experience in selecting a printer that works well in Linux. (My i850 did, but I had to play guessing games with old drivers.) I suspect I shouldn't get another Canon, because I vaguely remember being told Canon is not Linux-friendly. My printing needs are minimal (that was why I didn't spend much time working on this problem before giving up), so I suppose I would consider something used.
I suppose my being interested in a laser printer doesn't make sense, but if my information that a toner cartridge can last for thousands of pages is correct, I'm supposing I could go for years without needing more. (If this is incorrect, well, I've never owned or had to maintain a laser printer.)

Hello,

I have a HP PSC 2510 Photosmart All in one connected by USB to my laptop which has Slackware 13.0. It worked out of the box using CUPS 1.3.11. Printer and scanning work perfectly, fax is yet to be tested.

I believe that most of the HP printers will do pretty well.

Kind regards,

Eric

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Personal opinion / bias
based on some research and some personal experience......

Best Linux support: HP and Epson (very close 1&2)
Best Photo-quality inkjets: Epson
avoid all-in-ones

Thanks, I'll examine that model. And faxing doesn't matter to me--I don't do any.

@ Pixellany: Okay. I'm sure I could avoid all-in-ones, because the only thing I've done in recent memory is print in black. No photo printing, no faxing. But some printing of web pages, in grayscale. I suppose you dislike all-in-one printers because there is more that could go wrong with them.

A minimum of 3 reasons:

1. Common components can take out everything if they fail.

2. Pricing favors bundling low-end units. (i.e. more features but lower quality)

3. Less flexibility to select what you really need for each function.

Agreed, and I notice that that would be a Linux user's likely attitude.

Cost per printed page from a laser printer is a fraction of what an inkjet costs. I do very little printing at home. I bought a canon inkjet about 3 years ago and the cartridges dried out before I had printed a dozen pages! A new set of cartridges was about $55, I believe I paid $70 for the printer when new.

I was able to find a decent used laser on the local Craigs List for $30. A reman toner cartridge from Amazon was under $30 and should be good for a couple thousand pages. Laser cartridges don't dry out either. The model I bought was a Samsung ML 1430 and it installed with no trouble using CUPS.

In my experience trying my laptop out with different printers at various locations, any HP laser and almost any HP inkjet will work with linux. I have heard lots of complaints about lack of linux drivers for the cheap Lexmark inkjets, but their laser printers are OK, both the consumer grade and business grade. Canon, especially the newest models, can be hit or miss. I would not buy a Canon without first checking if drivers were available.

I must say that my favorite printer is the old HP LJ4Plus at my office. It has a manufactured date of Dec 1995, must weigh about 40 pounds, still works great, and has certainly printed more than 100,000 pages.

I would (and did) say the same thing as a Windows user.

The only correlation I would postulate between this view and being a linux user is that we often are a bit more knowledgeable about computer HW and SW.

Yes, but there is another correlation. I understand Microsoft likes making big comprehensive programs that try to do everything, but Linux favors prefer smaller and more modular programs, no doubt at least partly for flexibility and choice. Right? So I would expect Linux users to approach hardware with the same attitude. It's like buying separate stereo components instead of a boombox. I haven't bought or been given a new stereo in a few years, but I've vowed to buy components next time.