Printer

[metrologist]

As usual, Microsoft has deemed my printer obsolete. I think this makes 10 printers now, a nice Brother MFP laser printer has gone to scrap parts and landfill.

Any suggestions on an inexpensive staple laser printer? I just want a decent regular black laser printer that can pump out like 4000 sheets before needing an inexpensive toner refill, and that will last a while.

Thanks!

[wraper]

Have you tried inf install through device manager? Often this works, even if installation from exe does not.

[SingedFingers]

I'd just grab the cheapest brother laser you can and get cheap toner for it. The fuser/drum will shit itself after about 10k sheets but you're still up on cash over a better printer with a branded toner cartridge.

[nctnico]

Get an HP office/business laserprinter (preferably with a network interface) instead of a printer which uses the computer to do the heavy lifting (and thus needs OS specific drivers). It will work on any OS and any computer for the following decades.

[Towger]

As per nctnico, I got a HP 4250 from eBay a few years back for about 30 quid. I rate it as my best eBay buy, in use every day and I have only replaced the cartridge once.

[Monkeh]

A cheap Brother or Lexmark laser will suit you well.

Lexmark offer some quite affordable network connected (ethernet: sort out your own wireless sorcery) lasers. You won't have obsoletion issues with those.

[tautech]

A cheap Brother or Lexmark laser will suit you well.

Lexmark offer some quite affordable network connected (ethernet: sort out your own wireless sorcery) lasers. You won't have obsoletion issues with those.

+1 on getting ANY network capable printer. MS I'm sure just wants to make things as difficult as possible.
In our office a still perfectly capable HP 6MP connected to a Win 8.1 box works perfectly well as it has for many years but over the network we've not get found a way for my bench PC running Win 7 to talk to it. 
Previously when both PC's were running Win 7 there was never a problem providing the one connected to the local printer was fired up.

Whereas our colour OKI over the network works just fine from either PC, anytime. 

Look at getting a print server box and I think the better LAN switches have them so that could be something to look into.

[Monkeh]

I can't say any switch I'd class as 'better' has a print server in it.. But mine tend to have rack ears.

Plenty of neat little gadgets you can use to implement a print server decently, though. I have a lot of fun with these: https://www.gl-inet.com/mt300n/

[tautech]

I can't say any switch I'd class as 'better' has a print server in it.. But mine tend to have rack ears.

Plenty of neat little gadgets you can use to implement a print server decently, though. I have a lot of fun with these: https://www.gl-inet.com/mt300n/

Those look a very viable solution with their USB 2.0 interface, thanks. 

[Monkeh]

I can't say any switch I'd class as 'better' has a print server in it.. But mine tend to have rack ears.

Plenty of neat little gadgets you can use to implement a print server decently, though. I have a lot of fun with these: https://www.gl-inet.com/mt300n/

Those look a very viable solution with their USB 2.0 interface, thanks. 

Be warned firmware is more or less your responsibility, their builds kinda suck. Flashed with a current build of OpenWRT, though - nice interface, AP, router, bridge, print server, you name it it does it.

[tautech]

I can't say any switch I'd class as 'better' has a print server in it.. But mine tend to have rack ears.

Plenty of neat little gadgets you can use to implement a print server decently, though. I have a lot of fun with these: https://www.gl-inet.com/mt300n/

Those look a very viable solution with their USB 2.0 interface, thanks. 

Be warned firmware is more or less your responsibility, their builds kinda suck. Flashed with a current build of OpenWRT, though - nice interface, AP, router, bridge, print server, you name it it does it.

OK, hear you. 
Just to know something like these exist is a start, so time to get looking......

[GreyWoolfe]

4 or 5 years ago, I found a brother HL-1440 desktop laser with a toner cartridge and brand new spare cartridge for $10 USD.  Mated it to an old HP JetDirect EX+ I got for free and everyone prints fine, Win 7 and 10, back when I got it, WinXP, 7 and 8.  It is not a heavy use printer, I have only replaced the drum once.

[DimitriP]

Get an HP office/business laserprinter (preferably with a network interface) instead of a printer which uses the computer to do the heavy lifting (and thus needs OS specific drivers). It will work on any OS and any computer for the following decades.

AKA stay way from GDI printers.
If the printer has a choice though its own menu system to print out the built in fonts, it's not a GDI printer that relies on a 200MB software "driver".
As a bonus, it also means it can emulate HPL PCL in hardware so even if the "exact" driver is not available, you can lie to windows and set it up as HP4,5 6

Currently I have a DCP-2450DW that at least one machine is using the HP 4 driver to print to it.

[metrologist]

Here is what I discovered. That glass for the copy machine part, it's tempered glass and shatters all over the room when introduced to concrete flooring at 9.8 m/s/s for a couple seconds.

I'm not really feeling confident I know what to look for. GDI?

This aint really cheap:
https://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-Monochrome-CE658A-BGJ/dp/B00847UWUE

[Monkeh]

Here is what I discovered. That glass for the copy machine part, it's tempered glass and shatters all over the room when introduced to concrete flooring at 9.8 m/s/s for a couple seconds.

I'm not really feeling confident I know what to look for. GDI?

This aint really cheap:
https://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-Monochrome-CE658A-BGJ/dp/B00847UWUE

Actually yes, it is, but if you want the REALLY cheap end of the scale: https://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-L2340DW-Monochrome-Wireless-Replenishment/dp/B00LZS5EEI/

[metrologist]

LoL, I was just reading cunsumer reports suggesting that Brother printer. I saw it had a 2.5/5 rating and when I tried to read some of the review, the pop-up was half off the screen. Yay for web technology.


Not having anything to do with Windows or it's drivers would be ideal. I will go out of my way to avoid anything to do with Microsoft reliance, or anyone having to make some software for this device.

I guess GDI is a feature to look for and then avoid.

[DimitriP]

Here is what I discovered. That glass for the copy machine part, it's tempered glass and shatters all over the room when introduced to concrete flooring at 9.8 m/s/s for a couple seconds.

I'm not really feeling confident I know what to look for. GDI?

This aint really cheap:
https://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-Monochrome-CE658A-BGJ/dp/B00847UWUE

Actually yes, it is, but if you want the REALLY cheap end of the scale: https://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-L2340DW-Monochrome-Wireless-Replenishment/dp/B00LZS5EEI/

THe HL-L2340DW IS a GDI printer  :    [ Emulation(s) GDI]   ( HP hides the "GDI" by describing the emulation as "Host based"  just like they do on the HP-1102W )

THE DCP-L2450 and HL-L2360W  are not:   

http://support.brother.com/g/s/id/htmldoc/printer/cv_hll2300d/use/index.html#GUID-870AF14C-F773-4F02-B2A5-E04CFD3CBCE5_243
https://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-L2360DW-Wireless-Networking-Replenishment/dp/B00LEA5EJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484182033&sr=8-1&keywords=Hl-l2360
Print Font
(HL-L2360DW) - Prints the font list.
Emulation (HL-L2360DW) PCL6


Emulations
(DCP-L2540DW/HL-L2380DW/MFC-L2720DW/MFC-L2740DW)
PCL6, BR-Script3 (PostScript® 3™)

[Rick Law]

Inkjet killed the printer business and made it into an ink cartridge business.  Even printers are built like cartridges these days, and cartridges are built bathroom tissues - very limited life expectancy expect.

My HP Laserjet 5P is still going strong but to do color I added an HP Color colorjet 2560DN.  Works well but after about 10K prints, the 2560DN gives occasional "format error" (error 79, I think) than constant format error.  Web solution search found some suggesting it could be cartridge issues but I am using HP cartridges.  I replaced it with another 2560DN to minimize driver and software reload/reconfiguration.  This one lastest perhaps 15K prints and begin to get the "format error".  I am beginning to think it is perhaps a self destruct built in to the firmware.

So, back to my trusted 5P for all my prints.  It is robust and stands punishment.  If I can get ink cartridges for it 10 years from now, I am confident that bugger could still be working.  That one is no bath room tissue.

[Monkeh]

Here is what I discovered. That glass for the copy machine part, it's tempered glass and shatters all over the room when introduced to concrete flooring at 9.8 m/s/s for a couple seconds.

I'm not really feeling confident I know what to look for. GDI?

This aint really cheap:
https://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-Monochrome-CE658A-BGJ/dp/B00847UWUE

Actually yes, it is, but if you want the REALLY cheap end of the scale: https://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-L2340DW-Monochrome-Wireless-Replenishment/dp/B00LZS5EEI/

THe HL-L2340DW IS a GDI printer  :    [ Emulation(s) GDI]   ( HP hides the "GDI" by describing the emulation as "Host based"  just like they do on the HP-1102W )

.. a wireless GDI printer. Wow. I did not know such a thing existed. I'll just reiterate my 'expensive' Lexmark suggestion, then.

[nctnico]

My HP Laserjet 5P is still going strong
So, back to my trusted 5P for all my prints.  It is robust and stands punishment.  If I can get ink cartridges for it 10 years from now, I am confident that bugger could still be working.  That one is no bath room tissue.

I used to have an HP Laserjet 5P as well but after 20 years of service it started to print bad and a new cartridge didn't help. The replacement HP printer (P2055dn with network interface) was 5 times cheaper then the 5P so if it lasts for 4 years the price is on par with the 5P. Also the P2055dn can print double sided so suddenly I only need half the amount of paper.

[Richard Crowley]

Inkjet killed the printer business and made it into an ink cartridge business.  Even printers are built like cartridges these days, and cartridges are built bathroom tissues - very limited life expectancy expect.

Epson now have a range of inkjet printers with refillable tanks exposed on the side.

[metrologist]

Oh, I was just noticing Amazon Dash Replenishing Service built right into the printer. What's that? A networked printer will have access to your Amazon account and have ink automatically delivered to you -  the Amazon Dash Replenishment service measures the toner level and automatically orders toner from Amazon when low. This ensures that you never run out again., they say...

All this does is make politics seem more pallettable...

[vodka]

As usual, Microsoft has deemed my printer obsolete. I think this makes 10 printers now, a nice Brother MFP laser printer has gone to scrap parts and landfill.

Any suggestions on an inexpensive staple laser printer? I just want a decent regular black laser printer that can pump out like 4000 sheets before needing an inexpensive toner refill, and that will last a while.

Thanks!

You install a machine virtual with WIN XP on your PC,  you turn on the VM and you intall the printer on WIN XP emulated.
This trick i used when i used the WIN7 and the dickhead didn't want to acknowledge the drivers of the scanner or the camcorder.

[CJay]

HP networked laser of the same calibre as the 42/3x0 series, they're bomb proof and just keep on going.

About 40 PPM, duplex option is dirt cheap, toner, buy original HP only and you'll get excellent quality prints and lots of them.

Price, from £30 upwards.

[george graves]

The last great HP Laserjet was the Laserjet 4 plus. I hear the 5 isn't too bad - but the 4 plus is a work horse group printer, totally serviceable(side panels just pop off and you can replace anything), and under $250 on ebay.

I print about 5 pages a day, and at this rate my toner will last 10 year or more?  It's crazy.

They are a energy hog, even in "power save mode" - so if you turn it on and print, and turn it off, it's all good.

I use it to print instruction sheets in bulk (usually 100 at a time) and picked it cause of the low cost per page, and having one in my office while working for AMEX, back in the mid 90's I knew it was indestructible.  It's also awesome at small sheets in the drop down paper tray.  It can print on something like a check without it getting bound up.