Linux printing: much done and more to do (Linux.com)

Linux printing: much done and more to do (Linux.com)

Posted Nov 10, 2006 21:45 UTC (Fri) by TxtEdMacs (subscriber, #5983)
In reply to: Linux printing: much done and more to do (Linux.com) by jwb
Parent article: Linux printing: much done and more to do (Linux.com)

jwb - I had similar experiences, perhaps even more extreme than you describe.

When my daughter's Epson C-86 Color Stylus printer was pushed aside for part of the summer upon re-installation the printer began to develop problems. I allowed her temporarily to use my Epson 880 that had been functioning fine on Linux machine. Later when I restocked color cartridges, I added all new ones to the C-86. Immediately, it became unusable. Again I passed over my Epson 880. This time the 880 failed suddenly and completely. I could not believe the 880 could die so suddenly without any sign of its degrading. Nonetheless, I received reassurances that was the way stylus printers went.

[Installation/configuration 880 was a problem, but nothing compared to what is described below.]

Again temporarily I passed on my Samsung ML-1710 b&w laser printer to my daughter. This time installation was a nightmare, mostly due to my not being able to locate the driver disc. The installation procedure seemed too to follow a differing sequence each time I ran it. I finally got the laser printer functioning on XP as an older model: 1210. On earlier Linux distributions I had to use that driver, so I knew it would work. My problem, when it came time to selecting a driver the selection window on XP did not always have the 1210 listed. Well it worked and it sufficed in the interim.

I took the 880 and reattached it to the Linux box - it worked fine. Feeling vindicated, I tried to get the C-86 working. It appears to work, but no ink is visible on the pages. The repair manuals are no longer available on the web, having been withdrawn by Epson. I suspect a few replacement consumables might have put the unit back into service. But that is not an option, hence, neither are ink jets, bubble jets, stylus, etc.

I ended over buying a mid-range (networkable) Samsung color laser printer. Since I subsequently found the 880 worked I really did not need to use the new printer. If you consider buying a color laser, look very carefully at toner cartridge capacities, and energy consumption. Some manufactures are beginning to play the game of making back their money on selling over priced, low capacity consumables. Moreover, some models pull extreme levels of power on startup and even in the wait state are more like a working cpu than a printer at rest. It may be cruder electronics are cheaper and easier to build saving the manufacturing expense, however, your electric bills will reflect your poor choice.

Later I will probably put the color laser on the LAN. I hope by then the Linux driver will have improved to at least match the current Windows version.

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