An inkjet and laser printer your recommend?

[redred]

Upgraded my old Mac Mini to Snow Leopard a few days ago and in the process found out post-upgrade that my printer does not operate with SL.

Can you recommend me an inkjet and/or laser printer? I'm debating which I want. I'm a pretty casual user at home however I do occationally print out long projects (90 page screenplays.) Rare but it does happen at times.

Thanks.

 

[RMo]

If you don't need color, get a laser. (Even if you do need color on occasion, if you can get it done at a shop and not at home, it might still be worth it.) The toner is usually less expensive than ink per page, and although the printer is usually more expensive up front, you'll save money in the long run--plus toner doesn't dry out like ink does if you are sometimes an infrequent user.

As for actual printers, I'd be curious to see what others suggest, but personally I've used a couple Brother lasers and they've both been great. My first was a non-duplexing laser for less than $100, but I sold that and upgraded to a multifunction (and duplexing) network laser for only a bit more. We also have some Dells at work that work well--they're usually just rebranded Lexmark, Xerox, or another brand, for a bit less than you'd pay for that brand. HP LaserJets used to last forever, but I'm not sure they have that reputation anymore, at least in the lower-end price range. As you go looking, be sure to compare not only the price of the printer but also the price of the consumables (toner and drum, unless they're sold together as one unit). The Brothers have always worked well for me in all regards, but see what you can find.

 

[MisterMe]

Upgraded my old Mac Mini to Snow Leopard a few days ago and in the process found out post-upgrade that my printer does not operate with SL.

...

And you know that your printer does not work in Snow Leopard how? Which model printer do you have?

 

[redred]

And you know that your printer does not work in Snow Leopard how? Which model printer do you have?

I know because I googled the model number and Snow Leopard and found multiple sources that state that said printer does not work with SL and beyond. I'm in bed now but off the top of my head I want to say I have an HP 930C.

----------

If you don't need color, get a laser. (Even if you do need color on occasion, if you can get it done at a shop and not at home, it might still be worth it.) The toner is usually less expensive than ink per page, and although the printer is usually more expensive up front, you'll save money in the long run--plus toner doesn't dry out like ink does if you are sometimes an infrequent user.

As for actual printers, I'd be curious to see what others suggest, but personally I've used a couple Brother lasers and they've both been great. My first was a non-duplexing laser for less than $100, but I sold that and upgraded to a multifunction (and duplexing) network laser for only a bit more. We also have some Dells at work that work well--they're usually just rebranded Lexmark, Xerox, or another brand, for a bit less than you'd pay for that brand. HP LaserJets used to last forever, but I'm not sure they have that reputation anymore, at least in the lower-end price range. As you go looking, be sure to compare not only the price of the printer but also the price of the consumables (toner and drum, unless they're sold together as one unit). The Brothers have always worked well for me in all regards, but see what you can find.

If I went laser I'd get a color laser.

 

[WesCole]

I am biased toward Brother laser printers. They recently introduced some new ones with AirPrint, so that is what I will be getting if my current Brother laser printer ever dies. They also have good Mac support for their printers.

 

[MisterMe]

I know because I googled the model number and Snow Leopard and found multiple sources that state that said printer does not work with SL and beyond. I'm in bed now but off the top of my head I want to say I have an HP 930C.

...

If by HP 930C you mean HP DeskJet 930C, then you are mistaken. Although you may prefer manufacturer support, you are not limited to manufacturer support. Apple owns the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) and includes it as an integral part of MacOS X. CUPS is the printing system for Linux. Virtually any Linux driver can be easily installed and used on your Mac. The Linux Foundation's OpenPrinting Project has excellent CUPS support for the HP DeskJet 930C.

That said, there is an even better alternative. The Gutenprint bundle includes documentation for CUPS plus CUPS drivers for an array of popular printers including your HP DeskJet 930C.

 

[Ifti]

A laser printer is good if you print in large volume. For smaller prints it is inefficient. It takes longer to warm up etc, meaning more power consumed (they consume a lot more then Inkjets). You'll get a lot of pages (several thousand or so in some cases) from a single toner in a laser, but toner prices are high compared to inkjet carts.
Maintenance costs are also higher - remember the toner is not the only replaceable, or servicable, part, its the drum and, with some printers, the fuser unit also.

Inkjets have a lower cost associated with them to run. They are better for lower volume prints IMO. The printer is generally cheaper, and you'll commonly get scanners etc bundled into the unit now. When choosing a printer you need to look at cartridge cost as well. HP Printers, for example, have higher cartridge costs, but you are getting a new print head every time you change the cartridge since the head is on the cartridge rather then in the printer (so its like a new printer with every cartridge change), whereas with Epson, for example, its just the cartridge, and the print head stays in the printer so will need more regular cleaning etc.

Ive not looked into new models for a few years now, but I have a Canon MP640 which is a couple of years old. It has wifi and has the copier/scanner/card reader etc built in, with a colour screen. Its never let me down, and I receive Canon driver updates via Apple update on my system every so often - always worked spot on. A strong reason for me choosing this unit was that the cartridge prices are relatively cheap in comparison to some other brands.

The type of printer depends on how intend to use it, but remember to consider the cost of ownership and the consumable prices over time also. Both types are great, but when used in the correct scenario.

 

[ohbrilliance]

If you're only printing in Black and White, I recommend a laser. In my experience, lasers are better even for small quantities - inkjet cartridges clog up or the ink evaporates over time, meaning you get very few prints from a cartridge if you seldom print.
Brother laser printers are good and cheap. I've bought three for my parents and myself, both single-sided and the duplex/wifi model. They've all worked flawlessly.

 

[blevins321]

I am biased toward Brother laser printers. They recently introduced some new ones with AirPrint, so that is what I will be getting if my current Brother laser printer ever dies. They also have good Mac support for their printers.

This. Switched from HP inkjets to Brother laserjets years ago. Been a very satisfied customer ever since. I don't have one that supports Airplay, but if/when the current one dies in a few years, that will be on the list of features I'll shop around for. The toner is very reasonable too compared to others that I've seen. Especially if you purchase from Amazon.

 

[redred]

If by HP 930C you mean HP DeskJet 930C, then you are mistaken. Although you may prefer manufacturer support, you are not limited to manufacturer support. Apple owns the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) and includes it as an integral part of MacOS X. CUPS is the printing system for Linux. Virtually any Linux driver can be easily installed and used on your Mac. The Linux Foundation's OpenPrinting Project has excellent CUPS support for the HP DeskJet 930C.

That said, there is an even better alternative. The Gutenprint bundle includes documentation for CUPS plus CUPS drivers for an array of popular printers including your HP DeskJet 930C.

I tried both these options and neither worked.

 

[MisterMe]

A laser printer is good if you print in large volume. For smaller prints it is inefficient. It takes longer to warm up etc, meaning more power consumed (they consume a lot more then Inkjets). You'll get a lot of pages (several thousand or so in some cases) from a single toner in a laser, but toner prices are high compared to inkjet carts.
Maintenance costs are also higher - remember the toner is not the only replaceable, or servicable, part, its the drum and, with some printers, the fuser unit also.

Inkjets have a lower cost associated with them to run. ...

Most of this post is demonstrably not true by any credible measure. Ink cartridges are incredibly expensive because the ink that they hold is among the most expensive liquids on Earth.

Even slow laser printers tend to be much faster than any inkjet printer. Laser printers also produce prints that are dry when they exit the printer. If your inkjet print contains graphics such as photographs, then it stands a very good chance of coming out of the printer wet and requiring some time to dry. It also has a good chance of warping the paper.

Most of my inkjet experience is with HP. A good HP inkjet cartridge can be expected to hold enough ink to print one ream of letter-size paper. [Clogged ink nozzles have resulted in as few as 1-2 pages for a cartridge.] Laser printers OTOH hold enough toner to print more than a case of letter-size paper.

In today's economics, many inkjet printers cost less than two sets of replacement cartridges. As a result, many consumers don't bother to replace their ink. They just buy a new printer when the bundled ink runs out. In the case of certain low-volume laser printer owners, they may not print a case of paper during their college careers. Their laser printers become obsolete before they exhaust their toner.

 

[redred]

Local Staples tells me that if I recycle my old printer I get a $50 credit for a new printer priced $299 and up.

Ink from my inkjet was very expensive. I know I'm generalizing but is it fair to say that I'll need to replace the toner less frequently on a laser printer compared to a cartridge on an inkjet? Also do color laser printers require one toner or more?

 

[blevins321]

Local Staples tells me that if I recycle my old printer I get a $50 credit for a new printer priced $299 and up.

Ink from my inkjet was very expensive. I know I'm generalizing but is it fair to say that I'll need to replace the toner less frequently on a laser printer compared to a cartridge on an inkjet? Also do color laser printers require one toner or more?

Yes, you'll go months without needing a toner change. And yes, color printers use toners for all colors (black, blue, yellow, cyan).

 

[Sora]

If price is not an option, any Xerox printer. I've had a Phaser 6180N (Color) that was super fast. Was an absolute beast! Had a 80,000 /month duty cycle. I was doing about 2 reams a month - well under failure levels. Upgraded to memory to 512 MB.

Right now, my needs have been simpler and I have a Brother HL-2270DW (black & white). Long lasting toner. Very inexpensive. Have owned it for a few months and has give no problems. Prints double sided (built-in). Best of all you can pick up one brand new on Amazon for about $80 with free shipping. It prints fast. Spooling takes some time - and you can't upgrade the memory. But its a great simple laser printer.

Next year I will need color again and will get another Xerox Phaser printer.

 

[redred]

If price is not an option, any Xerox printer. I've had a Phaser 6180N (Color) that was super fast. Was an absolute beast! Had a 80,000 /month duty cycle. I was doing about 2 reams a month - well under failure levels. Upgraded to memory to 512 MB.

Right now, my needs have been simpler and I have a Brother HL-2270DW (black & white). Long lasting toner. Very inexpensive. Have owned it for a few months and has give no problems. Prints double sided (built-in). Best of all you can pick up one brand new on Amazon for about $80 with free shipping. It prints fast. Spooling takes some time - and you can't upgrade the memory. But its a great simple laser printer.

Next year I will need color again and will get another Xerox Phaser printer.

Right now I'm leaning towards the HL-2270DW. I've always owned color inkjets but I don't think I honestly need color for home printing.

 

[Sora]

Right now I'm leaning towards the HL-2270DW. I've always owned color inkjets but I don't think I honestly need color for home printing.

If you do decide to get the HL-2270DW, which is a great all-round inexpensive printer, you may want to give this thread a browse to avoid potential headaches and frustration. Connecting to the HL-2270DW wirelessly

Some people were having problems doing a wireless protected setup with Apple wireless routers.

 

[redred]

Thanks for the advice everybody. I picked up the HL-2270DW this afternoon and I have it up and running. Cheers.