Simplest and most reliable printer for an iMac?

In article ,
TJ wrote:
Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
In article ,
TJ wrote:

I find it fascinating just how many people believe the only reason one
might want a color printer is to print a photo.

If the cost and complexity and the problems of drying out/clogging up
are all part and parcel of owning an inkjet, and if we're talking
Grandma three states away, then what OTHER color printing does Grandma
need that's worth the hassle?

Notice I said "need", not "want".

Good question, and one only the OP or Grandma can answer. But after
having lived together with a few near-80-year-olds in my time (parents
and grandparents), I can tell you that "wants" can be as important to
their well-being as "needs."

FWIW, as the OP, I can say that color printing was a requirement.

My mother may not use the printer very often, but when she does
the output is often adorned with little butterflies and flowers
and balloons, which would tend to lose something in black and white,
but which aren't really worth a trip to Kinko's. (Especially not
at her age).
--
John Brock

If the cost and complexity and the problems of drying out/clogging up
are all part and parcel of owning an inkjet, and if we're talking
Grandma three states away, then what OTHER color printing does Grandma
need that's worth the hassle?

Notice I said "need", not "want".

Yeah, you're right. All a Grandma *needs* is shelter, clean water and
some food. And maybe a heater, depending where she's living. Everything
else is luxury.

So the easiest would be to just remove the computer. No computer, no
printer hassle. After all, she doesn't *need* a computer, does she?

In article ,
(Andy Hewitt) wrote:


I think without doubt I'd go for the Canon Pixma range. They are 'photo'
printers, and maybe cost a little more than the average, but I've had
two now, and very happy with them (currently using an iP4500).


Depends on what you want. Just unpacked and put into operation a PIXMA
MX860 multi-function unit for someone else: about a 3 hour job (and I'm
not a novice). Mac installation instructions are 37 pages long; eight
or nine doors and flaps on the thing; 5 ink tanks to unwrap (touchy
task) and install; multiple alignment routines to go through;
accidentally bump one of the 40+ buttons on the lid while opening it and
the installation software gets all screwed up; have to USB cable it to
install the software, even if you're going to use it via wireless; and
so on.

Got it all working OK eventually -- but politely declined in advance to
ever have anything to do with it again, if it runs into problems.

AES wrote:

In article ,
(Andy Hewitt) wrote:


I think without doubt I'd go for the Canon Pixma range. They are 'photo'
printers, and maybe cost a little more than the average, but I've had
two now, and very happy with them (currently using an iP4500).


Depends on what you want. Just unpacked and put into operation a PIXMA
MX860 multi-function unit for someone else: about a 3 hour job (and I'm
not a novice). Mac installation instructions are 37 pages long; eight
or nine doors and flaps on the thing; 5 ink tanks to unwrap (touchy
task) and install; multiple alignment routines to go through;
accidentally bump one of the 40+ buttons on the lid while opening it and
the installation software gets all screwed up; have to USB cable it to
install the software, even if you're going to use it via wireless; and
so on.

Yeah, but that's very much a higher end MF printer/scanner unit, and I'd
expect that to have much more setting up to do. The standalone printers
just plug in and work. I didn't find the five ink tanks to be a real
problem, it's the downside of having better economy with the inks.

Got it all working OK eventually -- but politely declined in advance to
ever have anything to do with it again, if it runs into problems.

I doubt you'll get much better with anything else this complex. I'd
hazard a guess that it was the scanner stuff that was worst.

Personally I still go for separate units for scanning and printing. I
have a Pixma iP4500 for printing, which took no OS installation at all
(OSX recognised it and setup the drivers automatically), and even works
just fine running off Airport Extreme. It's very economical on
cartridges.

For scanning I have an EpsonScan 4490, which also installed within
minutes, and the EpsconScan software works very well, and is a breeze to
scan strips of negatives.

As you say though, it can depend on your needs, but in this case, I
think the OP just wanted a 'printer'.

--
Andy Hewitt
http://web.me.com/andrewhewitt1/

AES wrote:
In article ,
(Andy Hewitt) wrote:

I think without doubt I'd go for the Canon Pixma range. They are 'photo'
printers, and maybe cost a little more than the average, but I've had
two now, and very happy with them (currently using an iP4500).


Depends on what you want. Just unpacked and put into operation a PIXMA
MX860 multi-function unit for someone else: about a 3 hour job (and I'm
not a novice). Mac installation instructions are 37 pages long; eight
or nine doors and flaps on the thing; 5 ink tanks to unwrap (touchy
task) and install; multiple alignment routines to go through;
accidentally bump one of the 40+ buttons on the lid while opening it and
the installation software gets all screwed up; have to USB cable it to
install the software, even if you're going to use it via wireless; and
so on.

Got it all working OK eventually -- but politely declined in advance to
ever have anything to do with it again, if it runs into problems.

Fascinating. I bought an HP Officejet 6110 early last year. It is a
printer/scanner/copier/fax, connecting through usb. Naturally, it has a
whole panel of buttons on the top, too. It was purchased used, of
course, so unpacking wasn't the same as a new one would have been, but
still I had to install two ink carts - one black, one tricolor - which
took about two minutes each. Installation into Mandriva Linux was
plug-and-play, and took maybe, oh, 5-7 minutes. It would have been
quicker, but that was the first printer I had installed on that
computer, and the latest CUPS software had to be downloaded and
installed from the repositories.

I can't imagine it taking any longer with a Mac, but then I have no
experience with that OS. But the more I read about Canon, the happier I
am that I went with HP. Canon may make a great printer, but they are too
much of a hassle for me.

TJ

In article ,
Jolly Roger wrote:

In article , Red
wrote:

John Brock wrote:
My siblings and I bought our 80-some year old mother a new iMac
for Christmas, and her Epson Stylus Color 740 -- unsupported by
Snow Leopard -- is now junk. So we'd like to hear recommendations
for a new printer.

We're not interested in speed or ultra-high quality photos or
multi-function; we're looking for robustness and simplicity above
all. We'd like our mother to be able to change the ink cartridges
by herself! Beyond that, we're looking for a major brand with good
OS X support, and not overly expensive (especially the ink). Under
$200 certainly, and under $100 would be nice. Given these criteria,
what would be the best choice?

Get her a black and white laser printer--- forget the ink jet stuff.
Cost per page is a quarter of ink jet cost per page. Unless she's a
printaholic, the cart will last for years.

There ain't no bad printers out there today-- though I would stay away
from Lexmark. Hard to go wrong with an HP or a Canon.

Only she won't get very good photo prints from a black and white (or
even a color) laser printer. ; )

May be just as cheap to have them done by a service. One can find
services that offer free printing sometimes for hundreds of prints.

Ink is expensive.

--
A computer without Microsoft is like a chocolate cake without mustard.

In article ,
(John Brock) wrote:

Honestly,
I'd like to rip a dozen new assholes in whoever it was at Microsoft
that's responsible for making Windows so virus-friendly!!! (OK,
maybe this is a rant that I should save for another occasion.... :-)
--

I'm glad you didn't get started.

--
A computer without Microsoft is like a chocolate cake without mustard.