[KLUG Members] Printer recommendation?

[Bryan-TheBS-Smith]

Kevin DeGraaf wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good printer that works *properly* under Linux?
> I'd prefer an el-cheapo inkjet, since I won't be printing much, and I
> don't need great quality.

As with any non-Windows OS, native Postscript printers work best. 
Unfortunately, I don't know of any low-cost inkjet printers that
have a Postscript option (let alone come with one as standard).

If you just need a black'n white, you can get a native Postscript
printer for just over $300.  True 10+ppm, and excellent output.  The
Lexmark Optra E300-series.  I have a E310, although the newer models
are the E312 and do 12ppm.  In fact, you can get a E312 refurb for
$239 on Lexmark's site.

They do 600dpi and usually take the performance and quality crown in
reviews for printers under $500.  Although they do both PCL and
Postscript, most reviews find only Postscript can handle the "big
graphics."  Although the memory is proprietary, clone memory is
available from Kingston and PNY for about 1/4th the price.  I
recommend it because the standard memory is only 2MB (an 8MB SIMM
can be had for <$30 more, for a total of 10MB).

> I've spent a good deal of time wrestling with a donated Epson inkjet, and
> I've rapidly become sick to death of sloppy, half-assed drivers and the
> plethora of poorly-documented printing systems out there (LPR, LPRng,
> CUPS, gs, etc.).

Actually, I find LPR/LPRng is _well_documented_ and
_very_powerful_.  You just have to know how to wield them.  And
setup from the "printtool" GUI in distros like RedHat make it cake.

-- TheBS

-- 
Bryan "TheBS" Smith    mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org    chat:thebs413
Engineer   AbsoluteValue Systems, Inc.  http://www.linux-wlan.org
President    SmithConcepts, Inc.     http://www.SmithConcepts.com