would you buy an apple printer?

[pimentoLoaf]

Would buy an Apple printer?

Only if it said HP in the fine print, as I'm quite happy with their product line.

(Owner of a 1215. 😀 )

 

[GeeYouEye]

I'd love to see an Apple printer again. Though they actually designed very few of their own printers (the ImageWriter II, the StyleWriter 2200 and the Personal LaserWriter come to mind), those printers have lasted years without so much as a hiccup. I know I'd buy one if it ever came out. Especially a decent portable printer. The current HP one is horrible, especially compared to the 2200. Heck, I'd still be using the 2200 if I could get a working USB-->serial adapter (sadly, no luck with the one from Belkin). Or if they had a desktop printer with the form factor of the 2500, I'd get that to replace my current Epson Stylus Color 740. But realistically, IF Apple ever returns to the printer market, I think it'll be more likely in the mid to high range laser printers. Why? Because people are willing to shell out more cash at the point of sale for a laserwriter than an inkjet. That, and toner cartridges can be sold for higher prices than ink tanks.

 

[superkatalog]

we own a personal laserwriter ls and a pl nt. both 10 to 12 years old. they work and work and work. with a stealth adapter for the desktop g4 and a keyspan serial adapter for the tibook.
i would be great to see printers from apple. but what will the price tag be? i think this and the crowded market are the big problems...

 

[BenderBot1138]

Apple vs. the Volcano

I'd buy anything that Apple made.

😎

 

[daveg5]

Re: Re: Re: Re: apple designed

Originally posted by i_b_joshua


I also agree but can't help thinking a single model, low profile 'portable' photo printer that does 6"x4" wouldn't be a big loser.
Imagine something not much bigger than an iPod.

Re: Firewire or not
I believe there are already mid to high end printers with firewire. I don't know if it is possible but if you had IP over firewire it would be very useful for network printers and would beat USB hands down.

i_b_joshua

I think canon and hp make a small 4x6 photo printer ome was thermal for no dots, just think with Apple design and powered thru firewire.
for Apple it is just as cheaper to have firewire then usb because it is thier baby and for high end laser printer and large size ink jets with immense buffers like those at kinkos it would be an extreme time saver and will free up your machine for the next job.
I read somewhere that Apple has suceeded in ip over firewire.
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=1385

 

[oldMac]

Apple "certified" printers

I don't think Apple should make printers, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to team up with Canon or HP and have them make special models that are "Apple certified".

The reasoning is simple... Most printers have pretty poor Mac drivers and the user-experience is very random when you buy a printer for the Mac. Not to mention the poor hardware quality of some of them (paper jams, etc).

Apple should team with one or more printer manufacturers and have more stringent criteria for the quality required to get an "Apple Gold Certified" label. Then Apple should promote the heck out of the program, sell the products via the Apple stores and web site, etc.

The idea would be that you can buy an "Apple Gold Certified" product and know that you're buying into a good experience.

I would gladly pay $200 for an inkjet that was as reliable and well-supported as my trusty StyleWriter II was. (Paid about $300 for that baby back in '92. Still works after some minor "home depot" repair - replaced O-rings.)

 

[rugby]

Apple would be foolish to offer printers at this time. Epson/HP/Lexmark sell all their inkjet printers at a loss and make their profit on the cartridges. Unless Apple starts rebranding carts also, there's no profit to be made. To make anything on the printer itself they'll have to charge significantly more than the other manufacturers. Who would buy an Apple branded printer for $40 more than the identical HP printer?

 

[daveg5]

Re: Apple "certified" printers

Originally posted by oldMac
I don't think Apple should make printers, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to team up with Canon or HP and have them make special models that are "Apple certified".

An excellant idea.
As many in this thread can attest thier old apple printers are extremely reliable no matter who produced them. my 1200 stylewriter (canon i think} is still going strong and i believe supported in classic although i have not tried it yet there.
Apple certified who hopefully means regular driver updates. which is much needed.
This could also extend to scanners an exspecially sore OSX driver spot for Apple.
Basically reliabilty and support are number one and two.
Features, speed and styling would follow although I would love to see some great styling in this area. The canon scanners thin line are cool looking

 

[JSRockit]

Originally posted by big
frekin printer ink should all be universal, its the heads that one sees the major differences in anyways, not the ink so much.

cheers! [/B]

Ink are not all universal. There are archival inks that last a long time and there is garbage. There is nothing worse then having a photograph fade after a few months.

 

[pantagruel]

well I know that if I had my choice between an HP printer and a Apple printer that was the exact same thing as the HP except it had Apple's design and it was only "$40" more I would pay the extra for the Apple one. also everyone keeps reminding us that Apple has already made printers but thats not the question here is it its would you buy a new one now? they stopped like 10 years ago.
I think the idea of a new apple designed printer with rendezvouz built in for iPhoto connection and who knows what else would be great, except for new ink printers havent had much advancement so I think its about time!

 

[backdraft]

Yes, if it was manufactured by epson. Dell's is going to sell their own branded printer manufactured by lexmark.

I would also like an Apple branded two button mouse with scroll wheel manufactured by logitech. Apple makes terrible mouses, after two weeks of use the cable is loose and the mouse freezes onscreen unless I push the cord in. Apple keyboards are also flimsy, they should use the same white plastic found on the iMac's case instead of the clear one, its smoother and sturdier. I don't want to buy a new keyboard and mouse every couple of month's you know.

 

[JSRockit]

Originally posted by backdraft
Yes, if it was manufactured by epson. Dell's is going to sell their own branded printer manufactured by lexmark.

I would also like an Apple branded two button mouse with scroll wheel manufactured by logitech. Apple makes terrible mouses, after two weeks of use the cable is loose and the mouse freezes onscreen unless I push the cord in. Apple keyboards are also flimsy, they should use the same white plastic found on the iMac's case instead of the clear one, its smoother and sturdier. I don't want to buy a new keyboard and mouse every couple of month's you know.

I use an Apple mouse and never had this problem...what have you been doing that the cord is coming loose?

 

[e-coli]

It would be nearly impossible for them to make a better printer than Epson.

color laser printers, however, have a ways to go.

 

[e-coli]

Originally posted by backdraft
Apple makes terrible mouses, after two weeks of use the cable is loose and the mouse freezes onscreen unless I push the cord in. Apple keyboards are also flimsy, they should use the same white plastic found on the iMac's case instead of the clear one, its smoother and sturdier. I don't want to buy a new keyboard and mouse every couple of month's you know.

never had a problem with either one. what, exactly, are you doing with your mouse and keyboard? 😉

 

[medea]

Originally posted by e-coli


never had a problem with either one. what, exactly, are you doing with your mouse and keyboard? 😉

Yeah I use both the pro mouse and pro keyboard and have had zero issues with either, I have even dropped my keyboard twice and it didnt crack or pop open or anything. I can't belive that the mouse cord would come out like that unless you were swinging it around or something, perhaps it was just a bad mouse?

 

[daveg5]

mouse

I had a similar problem with the mouse on my brothers imac the problem was not really the mouse but the cord was to stiff and short and would lose contact and stop working until you pushed it back in.
I promptly replaced it with a (microsoft ouch there hardware products are actually pretty good and have good mac support) 4 button and scroll optical for $50. When browsing, the back and forth buttons and scroll wheel are a real time saver, Apple is a bout 2 years behind every one else in this catagory on the other hand my 10 year old adb mouse still works fine and when i worked at Compusa we tried to destroy a hockey puck mouse by slamming it into concrete and running it over with a forklift and many other godforsaken things, then we plug it in and lo and behold it still worked, it even impressed the Apple sucks crowd.
I just saw the Logitec RF optical with recharging stand , just beautiful http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?p...d=3&contentid=4999&countryid=19&languageid=1. apple needs a 4 button scrolling optical wireless (maybe bluetooth mouse yesterday already) maybe a 2 button scroller for consumer models along with a wireless keyboard an Imac would look really great with no wires for the keyboard, mouse, printer, just speakers. of couse apple third party suppliers may not want this but its time.

 

[flanders]

if you really want an Apple printer, check out ebay...all your favourites are there. Just look for anything networkable and at least 600dpi.

All of my Apple printers are working fine w/OSX (laserwriters, all networkable) and should be for years to come. I even have spares (my second laserwriter 12/640PS comes to mind) that I'm putting up on ebay shortly.

Their laserwriters were attractive little workhorses, but I don't think for a minute that Apple's getting back into the printer business...they'll leave that to the HP's and Canon's to deal with.

 

[Sun Baked]

I don't see anything wrong with the HP LaserJets, mine was buit in 96/97 and has chewed it's way through 114500 pages.

Since it's always had an ethernet card and a localtalk port it's never failed to be usefull, of course the times it's needed a ethernet port firmware upgrade were a PIA.

But it is also a huge, heavy, ugly monster that dims the lights when it first kicks on.

 

[jholzner]

Well, even when Apple was into selling printers...they really weren't theirs. They just slapped an Apple Logo on first, Canon printers, and then HP printers. I don't recall Apple's pricing on these printers but knowing Apple I'm sure they were more expensive than the same printer labeled as Canon and HP. I don't think it's a good place for them to be and they were right in dropping printers when they did. They can't really be that innovative with printers...too crowded already with products that work very well.

 

[jefhatfield]

Re: Apple vs. the Volcano

Originally posted by BenderBot1138
I'd buy anything that Apple made.

😎

same here...assuming i had the need and the money

i wish apple would make more affordable products and make their net profit from big sales instead of small sales with a huge markup🙄

 

[Flickta]

I have a StyleWriter II, 1994. It works. Some problems with paper feeding, though. But I love its overall look, especially compared with modern printers (which have so many spare plastic, that one can be easily splitted in two), ugly examples of poor design. It' s just my opinion, but I'd love to buy a nice Apple-printer...
And I miss their old colorful logo...