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Bluetooth Printer, Reputable Company, Sub $200!

Capt Underpants

Capt Underpants

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Well, I am looking into buying a bluetooth printer for my new Powerbook. I am going for the whole wireless thing, and I would like my printer to be off of my computer desk. I was hoping for a good bluetooth printer from a reputable company (canon, epson, HP, etc.). Do any of you have any experience with Bluetooth printers?
 
No ideas, eh? Surely someone in here has a bluetooth printer... being as many macs come equipped with BT, or BTO BT for 50 bucks. AHHH!!! ONSLAUGHT OF ACRONYMS!!!!
 
Capt Underpants said:
No ideas, eh? Surely someone in here has a bluetooth printer... being as many macs come equipped with BT, or BTO BT for 50 bucks. AHHH!!! ONSLAUGHT OF ACRONYMS!!!!
Click to expand...

Is bluetooth fast enough to transfer data for a printer? I didn't think it was..
 
Most printers with built-in bluetooth are quite expensive. If you can wait till July, you can use an Airport Express with your current printer, or any printer if you don't have one.

Is bluetooth fast enough to transfer data for a printer? I didn't think it was..
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Yes.
 
I currently have a Bluetooth HP 995C...

that I might part with, send me an email... It is just like new (2 sets of cartridges), software / box / manuals / dual sided printing module.

Works just great in Panther, have not tried it in Jaguar.

Best,
Rob
 
There are not many Bluetooth printers out there. There is the above mentioned HP 995c, and there is also a Bluetooth adapter made by HP that you can add to several deskjets, but I think its about 130 dollars for the adapter alone. The best bet would be to pick up an 802.11b printer. HP makes a good one in the 5850, which will run you around $200. Another good one is the 2510, which is about 350 now, but has copier/scanner/fax included.

You could also pick up a airport express, or other WiFi print server and use your exsisting printer as others have mentioned. All in all, I don't thing Bluetooh printing is the way to go. 802.11b would be a better choice. (unless you PB doesn't have an Airport card that is.)
 
Koodauw said:
There are not many Bluetooth printers out there. There is the above mentioned HP 995c, and there is also a Bluetooth adapter made by HP that you can add to several deskjets, but I think its about 130 dollars for the adapter alone. The best bet would be to pick up an 802.11b printer. HP makes a good one in the 5850, which will run you around $200. Another good one is the 2510, which is about 350 now, but has copier/scanner/fax included.

You could also pick up a airport express, or other WiFi print server and use your exsisting printer as others have mentioned. All in all, I don't thing Bluetooh printing is the way to go. 802.11b would be a better choice. (unless you PB doesn't have an Airport card that is.)
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The HP printer website says "Printing will be slower with Bluetooth"

Also, the HP 5850 (wireless B) printer has a $149.99 MSRP on the HP site.
 
Bluetooth printing

I have the same dilemna... getting a new G5 2.0 Dual with Bluetooth installed. I've been researching bluetooth printers, and there just aren't many yet. There are a few Bluetooth USB Printer Adapters, but most are from $50 to $100 and don't seem worth the money (at least to me).

I ended up buying a new Canon i960 printer (with rebates for a little over $150) and it's a GREAT photo printer. My hope is that they come out with a bluetooth adapter that's reasonably priced in the future. If not, I'll live with a cord (but will still have my cordless mouse and keyboard!) 🙂
 
jdbphd said:
I have the same dilemna... getting a new G5 2.0 Dual with Bluetooth installed. I've been researching bluetooth printers, and there just aren't many yet. There are a few Bluetooth USB Printer Adapters, but most are from $50 to $100 and don't seem worth the money (at least to me).

I ended up buying a new Canon i960 printer (with rebates for a little over $150) and it's a GREAT photo printer. My hope is that they come out with a bluetooth adapter that's reasonably priced in the future. If not, I'll live with a cord (but will still have my cordless mouse and keyboard!) 🙂
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Ya, but my problem is that the cord would need to be strung ten feet across my room, and it would be highly visible. I really don't care how fast the printing is, as long as it gets done. I guess the 995c is my only choice, then.
 
carletonmusic said:
The HP printer website says "Printing will be slower with Bluetooth"

Also, the HP 5850 (wireless B) printer has a $149.99 MSRP on the HP site.
Click to expand...

I wonder if BT printing (as much a fan of BT as I am) will have a future now that WiFi is getting cheap enough to put in printers....

Does anyone here have a WiFi printer? Do you have to switch Airport networks to print, or can you set the network its on so that it uses the same network as your AEBS, or does it make an automatic Rendezvous connection (are any of the WiFi printers even Rendezvous compatible?)?

If you have to drop your internet-providing AE connection to get to the printer that would seriously stink....
 
I would also like to know about the wireless B printer. I went up to CompUSA and saw it, but the salesman wasn't very helpful, so I figured I'd come back to this thread and ask you guys. TIA.
 
Koodauw said:
<snip> Another good one is the 2510, which is about 350 now, but has copier/scanner/fax included.</snip>
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I would definitely spend the extra $$$ for the all-in-one. I didn't think I would use the copy feature much on mine but turns out I use it all the time. Really convenient to have everything in one small package.
 
I have both of the HP wireless printers I mentioned above. They work very well for me. You can add them to your current network, so that everyone on it can share it, so you dont need to change any network or anything. You can also set it up for a direct wireless to computer link as well, in case you dont currently have a wireless router. (ad-hoc I think its called) If the 5850 is $150 at the HP website, I would consider that a steal. And I bet it will work alot better then Bluetooth.
 
Koodauw said:
I have both of the HP wireless printers I mentioned above. They work very well for me. You can add them to your current network, so that everyone on it can share it, so you dont need to change any network or anything. You can also set it up for a direct wireless to computer link as well, in case you dont currently have a wireless router. (ad-hoc I think its called) If the 5850 is $150 at the HP website, I would consider that a steal. And I bet it will work alot better then Bluetooth.
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Hmm...that does sound good...if I didn't have Airport-compatible printer already... 😉 I think Wifi has a brighter future for printing than BT, especially as low power compact WiFi adaptors become available. Although, if a later WiFi standard embellished itself with more of the adhoc features BT offers.....
 
What about epson?

Everything noted here is HP, but The Epson all in one RX 600 is a great BT printer (with the 69 dollar BT add on) Other wise, AP express has more flexibility

Rolerboy
 
many canon printers can be used with bluetooth with an optional adapter, check canons page to see which printers offer it. a better solution would be wifi, especially since airport express makes it so easy now.
 
medea said:
many canon printers can be used with bluetooth with an optional adapter, check canons page to see which printers offer it. a better solution would be wifi, especially since airport express makes it so easy now.
Click to expand...

I was going to suggest the i80 from Canon, but with BT if raises the price to a little more than $300.
 
Sorry to be so low-tech (and perhaps unhelpful)...but there is always the combination of USB extensions, a hammer, some small nails (and whatever you call those plastic pieces that hold cords in place), and baseboards. I currently utilize this system for my printer over about 20', and it is barely noticeable, especially if you blend with the edge of the carpet.

High-tech? No. Cheap? Yes. This way you can hold out till wireless tech becomes cheaper...buy a good wireless-enabled (or BT, if you want) printer, use this method, and upgrade when prices drop.

Just an alternate viewpoint. As far as printers go, I am a Canon fan...
 
Okay, guys. I took someone's advice and bought a 802.11B printer. it works great, but I only have one problem: In order to print from it, i have to switch from my airport network to the printer's network. I can't surf while I'm printing. I don't think it's supposed to be like this, but it's something I am willing to sacrifice for the cleanliness of it all. It's also also better than having to get up and plug in my other printer and wait for it to print before i go back to my work. Overall, I am pleased. My desk looks a lot better, too, without a printer on it.

Thanks, fellows. You have helped me a lot with my switch, and now with my printer. I don't know what I would do without the helpful people here in the MR community.
 
Which printer did you pick up? You should be able to add it to you current network, that way you won't have to switch all the time. I can help you out if you have an HP one. Let me know.
 
mkrishnan said:
I wonder if BT printing (as much a fan of BT as I am) will have a future now that WiFi is getting cheap enough to put in printers....<snip>
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Isn't the point of BT it's extremely low power consumption? iirc, that's what makes it useful compared to WiFi.
 
jimjiminyjim said:
Isn't the point of BT it's extremely low power consumption? iirc, that's what makes it useful compared to WiFi.
Click to expand...

Those securedigital WiFi cards can't consume *that* much power, can they?

I think that the other major strength of BT is that its designed from the ground up for ad-hoc relationships -- by using profiles, you eliminate the business of drivers, etc. Not sure how it works for printers though.
 
Koodauw said:
Which printer did you pick up? You should be able to add it to you current network, that way you won't have to switch all the time. I can help you out if you have an HP one. Let me know.
Click to expand...

It is, indeed an HP 5850. ANy help would be appreciated.
 
Bluetake BT210 Bluetooth USB printer Adapter

I purchased the adapter but have not been able to get it to work on HP laserjet 1012, HP 5550, HP 6110 or Canon i860
 
My Epson R300 works pretty good since the room it's in has metal studs not wood ones, that was a concern all to its own though. But I use it for DVD/Cd printing only so I may just go wifi with my Canon i960, not sure 😎 Before I forget I use 2 D-link units and my friend set it up for me since I was busy that day so if was simple/hard to do I can't say. Good luck
 
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