[sf-lug] network laser printer

[Alex Kleider]

Great analysis! I answered the 'add' and offered to buy it.
cheers,
ak




--- On Fri, 5/7/10, Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:

> From: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
> Subject: Re: [sf-lug] network laser printer
> To: "Linux userGroup" <sf-lug at linuxmafia.com>
> Date: Friday, May 7, 2010, 7:54 PM
> Quoting Alex Kleider (a_kleider at yahoo.com):
> 
> > The Brother HL-2070n and the currently available
> HL-2070w, the one I'm
> > leaning towards, aren't listed but Brother in general
> seems to have a
> > very good reputation in the Linux community. 
> 
> Well, you can at least hope that those are sufficiently
> similar to, say,
> the Brother HL-2060, but the latter looks a little iffy
> (http://www.openprinting.org/printer/Brother/Brother-HL-2060).
> Concerning _that_ printer (and of course the HL-2070n and
> HL-2070w may
> be better), it says "works Mostly", which is not a ringing
> endorsement.
> Recommended driver is hpijs-pcl5e, which is open source and
> is an
> HP-written driver for printers that speak the PCL-5e
> printing language.
> The main flaw seems to be that it maxes out at 600x600 dpi
> with that
> driver -- though a remark _also_ says the printer comes
> default with
> only 8 MB RAM, and that such a low amount of memory doesn't
> give the
> printer enough buffer to image at the full 1200x1200. 
> Also, with the
> hpijs-pcl5e driver, the printer gets 70 points out of 100
> for speed --
> again, OK, but not a ringing endorsement.
> 
> Brother offers proprietary CUPS-compatible PPDs (drivers)
> for download.
> Results with those are not indicated.
> 
> Part of my point is that you maybe shouldn't go by just
> general
> reputation of the manufacturer, because that's not going to
> help you in
> the short term if you have a printer from those folks that
> has driver
> problems.  (It might help you in the long term, but
> waiting years for
> good drivers is not a great printing strategy. 
> ;->  )
> 
> 
> Brother HL-2070w is obviously a very recently introduced
> printer, and 
> there is rather little written about its use with open
> source operating
> systems on the Net.  If you luck out with it,
> great!  I would not
> personally go for that.  Really.
> 
> 
> 
> > I followed your suggested routine for a couple of the
> printers
> > currently listed on Craig's but again, the specific
> models weren't
> > covered on the www.openprinting.org site.
> 
> Glancing quickly through http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sys/ now.
> 
>   Used Canon imageCLASS MF3240 Multifunction Laser
> Printer - $50
>   (Oakland/Orinda/Moraga)
> 
> In general, multifunction printer/fax/scanner/modem things
> have tended
> to be iffy.  This is basically a glorified low-end fax
> machine with a
> USB port.  I'm not even going to research it
> further.  (Probably a fair
> price, though.)
> 
>   HP - P2035N - Network-Ready Black-and-White Laserjet
> Printer - $150
>   (alameda)
> 
> Hello!  Looks interesting.
> 
> 1200x1200, ethernet port, 30 ppm nominal, 250 sheet feeder,
> 16 MB RAM,
> USB, PCL-something printing, apparently no built-in
> PostScript.  
> Correct name (not given in the ad) is HP LaserJet p2035n.
> 
> Review says this is a rather limited printer in that the 16
> MB RAM 
> (a real bottleneck) _cannot_ be upgraded. 
> Bummer.  You can probably 
> do better (for $150, anyway), though odds are that
> retrofitting the
> latest HPLIP driver set into your distro will make it
> work.
> 
> Moving along....
> 
> 
> 
>   Computer peripherals: laser printers, mice,
> keyboards - $15 (foster
>   city)
> 
> Printer in question is "HP LaserJet P2015dn incl 2 paper
> trays"
> The "$15", of course, applies just to the keyboard. 
> For the printer,
> seller says "$175 (retail $399)"
> 
> http://www.openprinting.org/printer/HP/HP-LaserJet_P2015
> says "works
> Perfectly", which is what you want to see.  You get
> 600x600 dpi with the
> hplip driver.  PCL5e and PCL6 print languages, plus
> PostScript 2
> emulated.  Parallel(!) and USB.  No built-in
> ethernet, which sucks.
> Trays hold 250 sheets.
> 
> If you can justify the $175 hit to your pocketbook, this
> would seem a
> fine printer.  You'd want to keep your eyes open for a
> compatible
> JetDirect card available used or on sale.
> 
> HP uses suffixes on its LaserJet models such as "dn" or "n"
> to indicate
> extra features, by the way.  "d"=duplex printing,
> "n"=network port
> (ethernet), "t"=extra paper tray.  So, the
> openprinting.org page about
> the P2015 _does indeed_ address the P2015dn.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>    HP 4100N Printer - $50 (mountain view)
> 
> Correct name for this printer is HP LaserJet 4100N.
> http://www.openprinting.org/printer/HP/HP-LaserJet_4100
> says "works
> Perfectly".  Network port (thus the N). 
> PostScript level 3.
> Recommended printer is hplip, with which you get 600x600,
> but you can
> also use PostScript drivers, or lots of others.  Holey
> moley, this
> looks like a nice printer.  $50!  I'd take
> it.  Hell yeah.
> 
> You can keep on going, and I'm sure there's lots
> more.  I was only on
> the second page of sfbay.craigslist.org listings.
> 
> 
> > (ps unbound works like a charm!)
> 
> Glad to hear it.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> sf-lug mailing list
> sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
> http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/sf-lug
> Information about SF-LUG is at http://www.sf-lug.org/
>