Apple video confusing me with wifi

[rollecoasterfan]

Hi everyone.
I am thinking about buying a 13" mbp. After watching apple's wireless basics video, I am all confused. I currently have a Linksys Wireless G Broadband Router (http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/WRT54GL). Will I need an airport to get wifi in my home? What about a printer. I was thinking about the HP C5580 (http://www.shopping.hp.com/store/product/product_detail/Q8341A%23ABA?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN). It says that it prints straight from a bluetooth enabled device, (I am 99% sure that the mbp is) then I don't even need wifi to print, right?
Sorry if this is confusing.

 

[old-wiz]

you don't need airport to get wifi; pretty much any router that supports wifi will work. I use a FIOS router that has wifi and it works fine.

 

[spinnerlys]

Airport is just Apple's name for wireless LAN, nothing more.

You can use almost any wireless router out there, just some have compatibility issues with Macintosh computers.

I don't know about that specific printer, but the MBP has Bluetooth as you can see from Apple's Technical Specifications page for the MBP.

But some of the printers vendors' drivers might hog up the CPU, because they're poorly written.

MRoogle might be a good start to search this forums for specific problems.

 

[Lanbrown]

The range of BT is also much more limited. So if you are in a different room, then don't expect to print. IMO, if you want to print wirelessly, get a print server. Forget wireless printers. You get a wired print server and it will work with virtually any printer and if you change/upgrade your wireless router/AP, you don't have to worry about if the wireless printer will work with it. All you need is a wired port on your wireless router. Ethernet is not going anywhere.