best printer for 2014 iMac running OSX 10.9.5

[aldri49]

Hello,

I need a printer for a 2014 iMac running OSX 10.9.5. One recommended printer, the HP tango X, lists in its specs that it is compatible with LATE 2014 iMacs. How the heck do I know if I own a LATE 2014 iMac? Also, it lists "Retina 5K, 27in" as a compatibility requirement? (see https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HMJT2VC/A/hp-tango-x-printer) My display is 21.5 inches.

Any other recommendations?

thanks

 

[jerwin]

Find the model name and serial number of your Mac
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201581

I was about to suggest you look in the "About this Mac" dialogue, but apparently 10.9 doesn't display this information. So you'll have to consult System Information, as explained in the link.

That particular printer sounds a bit... gimmicky.
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/hp-tango-x-printer,review-5995.html

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Running OS X.9.5 it is a mid 2014 model. Late 2014 came with OS X.10 installed.

 

[mikehalloran]

Best printer? Hard to say. HP, Canon and Epson include drivers in the Mac OS—if it isn't there, you're generally out of luck.

Canon lets you download earlier or later drivers from their Japanese web site and install manually. The right drivers need to exist and you aren't always going to know what's what. Sometimes, you can get lucky with Epson that way, too. Not HP, though.

Brother specific drivers are not included in the Mac OS package. Brother can use the generic AirPrint Apple driver but you have more options if you download the correct drivers from their web site.

The most economical printers I've found are the Brother Inkvest series — very low cost per page to own and the inks are waterproof once dry. They don't have quite the saturation per page but you don't really notice it unless you A/B a page with another. These are less expensive to run than laser printers.

The HPs and Epsons I've owned have the highest costs but they saturate the page better than Brother. Canon seems ok.

In any case, you're going to have to do a lot of research to see what new printers are still compatible with Mavericks. Good luck with that.

 

[aldri49]

thanks, all. Glad I posted here because a guy elsewhere online told me "Oh, sure - all new printers will work with Maverick!"

 

[Fishrrman]

IF it's a new-design printer (newer than Mavericks)
and
IF it comes with a newer driver (for which there are no "older versions")
then
It may NOT work with an older version of the OS.

Actually, for a 2014 iMac it's probably time to be "looking beyond" Mavericks to a more recent version of the OS.
My favorite: 10.12 "Low Sierra".
But be aware that even Low Sierra might be too old to run a "brand-new" printer driver...

 

[jerwin]

This is how HP describes the current Tango driver. Mavericks is 10.9. The driver requires at least El Capitan-- 10.11.

 

[aldri49]

according to best buy live chat - HP office jet pro 8035 will run on iMac running Maverick and they have it in stock. Hope these people know what they are talking about.

 

[aldri49]

They don't - this link says no to Maverick:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06291581#AbT18

only OSX 10.11 and higher.

nobody will tell me the truth

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Again...
As I mentioned above, it may be time to consider "moving beyond" Mavericks to something a little newer.
It doesn't have to be "the newest"... just newER.

Low Sierra (10.12) might be a good choice.