Can anyone recommend a particular Linux-compatible laser printer model?

No...

However, HP has good support for their printers with the HPLIP driver.

http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web...ces/index.html

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Samsung ML-2510 using the splix (http://splix.sourceforge.net/) driver.


Bear in mind that it's the only laser printer I have bought and setup. It was painless to setup and has worked flawlessly for about 3 years and shows no signs of fatigue.

Any printer should work as long as you have a ppd file for it. Go into your CUPS configuration (web browser to http://localhost:631) and you can see a full list of the printers it supports in there by trying to add a new printer.

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newbies*;
You already got a bunch of advice on this in your other recent thread. Since the topics are different, I'm going to leave things alone---but: please don't start new threads for topics you already have under discussion.

At the risk of triggering the same debates----I recommend HP. However, the low end of the laser printer market is very competitive and there are several good choices.

Avoid Lexmark---they have been the worst in terms of Linux support.

Keep in mind that the cost of consumables will quickly eclipse the purchase price---buying the cheapest printer may not be the best plan.

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Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to buy toner? Not the cost--I know toner is expensive--but whether toner is printer-specific. If it is, finding the right toner could be a pain if I don't buy a recent model. (I might not. I was looking at the HP P1006, but have backed off it, because I saw too many bad customer reviews. I am now considering the older but more proven HP 1022. It is no longer made, but used ones in good shape are easy to find, and openprinting.org indicates it is supported even better than the P1006.)

As you can gather, I've never owned a laser printer. I found out about five years ago that they weren't prohibitively expensive anymore, but just after I found out, someone bought me a new inkjet printer (blah).

A toner cartridge is printer specific. You also need to worry about the drum too. Some laser printers (for example the one I mentioned) have a combined toner drum unit so there is only one consumable (and paper of course) to worry about. These units tend to be slightly more expensive than toner cartridges were the printer has a separate drum. However, the drum is also a consumable and will need replacing somewhat regularly.

Some printers have more more than one possible cartridge too. There are two units for mine, one rated at 1000 pages, the other at 3000. the 3000 page one is more costly, but works out cheaper per page.

Don't let any of this put you off though, do you research and I'm sure you'll find (as I did) a laser printer an order of magnitude easier to live with than in inkjet.

Yes, but not if I bought a laser printer and then found that its specific toner cartridges were no longer manufactured (or soon wouldn't be). I'm still going to get a laser printer, but I guess I'll have to be careful.

That Samsung printer is nice, but is a bit more expensive than the HP models I have considered.

Hi,

You can find after market toner refill kits for most printers. Look at some local toner/cartridge refill shops. We have several in our area and their reasonable. The big cost will be the drum when it wears beyond use. If you get in the habit of gently agitating the toner with a roll action you will find the cartridge will last a lot longer.



BTW, I like the Brother series Laser printers for the durability and cost. Cheap but good.

Can I expect to find these toner refill kits at the major office supply stores, or are they a specialty thing?

Personally, I have never seen refill kits in retail stores---but I have seen 3rd-party refilled cartridges.

Have you surveyed websites for Staples, Office Depot, NewEgg, ZipZoomFly, Amazon, Best Buy, etc.?

I'm almost completely settled on a choice of these two HP models: P1006 http://www.amazon.com/Hewlett-Packar...pr_product_top, and the older LaserJet 1022 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...F8&me=&seller= (or possibly a 1020, which is similar). I'm leaning more toward a 1022, because it is older and more proven (in Linux and in general) than the P1006. I think the 1022 is now out of production, but I could find one with only a little work. Does anyone have an opinion on which is better?


I could look at Samsung, it having been recommended, but HP seems good and I don't want to spend much more time researching brands.

Gee, you are making this quite a career...

Once again, you should be fine with any HP. I have the 1022 and it has been a rock.

Also repeating: The cost of printing is in the consumables......

Unless HP honestly is that perfect, saying any HP is fine sounds simplistic; but thanks, your statement about the 1022 is what I was looking for...

Hi,

It's taken you 2 1/2 months to get to a possible selection. I've already gone through a ream of paper.

Take a leap off that fence, the HP is OK. Consumables, reliability and usage will dictate the life of any modern Laser Printer.

I choose a Brother series because to me they are just throw away devices at the low cost.