what to look for in a printer for macbook

[gotlax24]

I just got a macbook in the beginning of the summer and love it! I am glad I made the switch from dell. Since I am still new to all this wireless and network stuff (but i can follow directions well) I need to know what to look for in a printer for my macbook because i do not want to have to buy the wrong one! I have the newest version of the macbook and it connected to a router that is also connected to a dell desktop. I just need a printer for my macbook not the desktop so do i need a network printer or just a wireless printer?? If anyone uses a printer that they like with their macbook recommendations would also be appreciated!

[TuffLuffJimmy]

I don't think you need to get a wireless, or network printer. Any printer with a USB connector should work. What I've done is connected my free printer to my Airport Extreme. I can print from my Macbook, my mom's powerbook and my family's PC. My family's PC is connected through ethernet directly to the Airport.

[bartzilla]

Originally Posted by gotlax24

I just got a macbook in the beginning of the summer and love it! I am glad I made the switch from dell. Since I am still new to all this wireless and network stuff (but i can follow directions well) I need to know what to look for in a printer for my macbook because i do not want to have to buy the wrong one! I have the newest version of the macbook and it connected to a router that is also connected to a dell desktop. I just need a printer for my macbook not the desktop so do i need a network printer or just a wireless printer?? If anyone uses a printer that they like with their macbook recommendations would also be appreciated!

As Jimmy says, you don't need a printer that's wireless in and of itself. I've got a Samsung CLP-300N colour laser printer that plugs into my cable router. The cable router does wireless, so I can print anywhere I can connect to the internet at home.

[gotlax24]

okay, so i just need to buy a printer that connects into my router? sounds easy enough, thanks guys!

[Avizzv92]

Make sure your router has a USB plug in it, my Netgear doesn't therefore a printer can't be connected. And if I wanted wireless printing I would need a wireless printer adapter.

All in All, HP has always been my favorite non Mac tech brand, They make reliable products and good printers... I own a HP Photosmart All-In-One...

[tsice19]

If you want to wirelessly print, you'll need a USB printer compatible with both Windows and Mac.

Then you can either 1) Plug it into your router (if it has USB) or 2) Plug it into an Airport Express (if you have one) or 3) Plug it into a desktop connected to your wireless network and share the printer with other computers on your network.

[atlanticza]

What to look for in a printer? Make sure that the printer ships with fully supported Mac drivers, especially if it's an all-in-one.

[CalBoy]

Originally Posted by tuffluffjimmy

I don't think you need to get a wireless, or network printer. Any printer with a USB connector should work. What I've done is connected my free printer to my Airport Extreme. I can print from my Macbook, my mom's powerbook and my family's PC. My family's PC is connected through ethernet directly to the Airport.

I really agree with this post, and I think this is the best route to go through.

I also think you should think about what you want out of the printer. For example, if you expect to print many documents, go for a laser printer that is known for reliability (HP is always a good brand). If you think you're only going to print occasionally, then a basic printer-copier-scanner combo might work nicely.

Out of curiosity, why didn't you take advantage of the $100 printer rebate? IIRC, all macbook, macbook pro, iMac, and Mac Pro purchases come with a $100 printer rebate that you can apply to several different printers that are available from Apple. Those are also usually easy to find OS X drivers for, so it can save you some trouble.

[bartzilla]

Originally Posted by Avizzv92

Make sure your router has a USB plug in it, my Netgear doesn't therefore a printer can't be connected. And if I wanted wireless printing I would need a wireless printer adapter.

I don't have USB on my router, I have a printer that has a built in network card, and I plug that into the router using the built-in small ethernet switch that pretty much every ADSL or Cable router on the planet has these days.

Works fine, and I didn't need to do anything special to make it print from machines using the router's wireless connection either. It's all 'the network' as far as my printer is concerned... all you need is the correct drivers, and for my CLP-300N, samsung support bonjour so it's real easy to configure things, and seem fairly on the ball with Leopard drivers, 32 & 64 bit Vista and XP, I think Linux drivers too, etc.