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    Windows 7 Printer?

    Right now, I have a Canon PixMA IP-4300. I can still get cartridges, but they are getting harder to find. I am about to get some refill supplies, and a device to reset the chip inside each cartridge.

    (Of course, if the "ink overflow tank is full" sensor is tripped, I will have to hack/reset it or junk the printer immediately. Old printers, like old cars, are more likely to have sudden catastrophic failures. I accept this.)

    Should I get a printer now, since Win 7 drivers won't be provided for printers any longer? (Note: Long after Win 7 is too unsafe to go on the Net, I can use Linux and do all the browsing, Office, photo work, AND PRINTING that I need to do -- it will be "clunkier", but I can do it).

    Several years ago, Ratdude set me up with a Laserjet 4350tn, but it needs a new drum/engine and toner (and a it might be overkill for printing a few hundred pages per year).

    Should I consider one of those new "personal" monochrome lasers that start around $100 and have toner cartridges that only last 1000-2000 pages? Will toner spoil like inkjet cartridges expire? Can I still get older lasers that are reliable, where Windows 7 will have drivers for PostScript or HP's PCL? Will toner or drums for those be hard to get?

    It is really nice having my own printer (I could live without one -- filing taxes electronically and printing pay information on the company laser). But I am starting to prepare my taxes now. As an Asperger's person, I am getting mentally tired switching back and forth between PDFs of forms on my ONE monitor. Sometimes you just need to PRINT THINGS OUT to quickly find what you are looking for.

    Any thoughts?
    Last edited by Hondaman; 01-11-2020, 05:42 AM.

    #2
    Re: Windows 7 Printer?

    Toner in laser printers does not expire.
    Apart from my Epson Pro 7600, I ditched my inkjets a couple of years ago when i picked up a used colour Brother laser off Ebay for £10.
    No blocked nozzles to worry about and toners are less than £10.

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      #3
      Re: Windows 7 Printer?

      get a printer that uses postscript over ethernet and you wont need specific drivers.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Windows 7 Printer?

        Originally posted by diif View Post
        Toner in laser printers does not expire.
        no, but some toner cartridges do, the fuckers code a "use by" date into the chip!!

        i still use a HP5 - best laser ever.
        (it's pre-feorina)

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          #5
          Re: Windows 7 Printer?

          I ditched Ink jet long ago for several reasons, one I find for the printers I have now the cartridges don't seem to expire and given the quantity of printing I do the carts may outlive the printers. I have a Hp1320n which was given to me along with a part used cart and new cart, the other being a second hand Samsung CLX-6260ND and that is still on its original high capacity carts. I do an amount of label printing where inkjet would not fly, plus the amount of printing throughput resulted in pretty much every few months I was replacing dried up carts or wasting lots of ink unblocking heads. Both run postscript over ethernet so no issues there
          Last edited by llonen; 01-11-2020, 09:21 AM.

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            #6
            Re: Windows 7 Printer?

            Originally posted by Hondaman View Post
            Right now, I have a Canon PixMA IP-4300. I can still get cartridges, but they are getting harder to find. I am about to get some refill supplies, and a device to reset the chip inside each cartridge.

            (Of course, if the "ink overflow tank is full" sensor is tripped, I will have to hack/reset it or junk the printer immediately. Old printers, like old cars, are more likely to have sudden catastrophic failures. I accept this.)

            Should I get a printer now, since Win 7 drivers won't be provided for printers any longer? (Note: Long after Win 7 is too unsafe to go on the Net, I can use Linux and do all the browsing, Office, photo work, AND PRINTING that I need to do -- it will be "clunkier", but I can do it).

            Several years ago, Ratdude set me up with a Laserjet 4350tn, but it needs a new drum/engine and toner (and a it might be overkill for printing a few hundred pages per year).

            Should I consider one of those new "personal" monochrome lasers that start around $100 and have toner cartridges that only last 1000-2000 pages? Will toner spoil like inkjet cartridges expire? Can I still get older lasers that are reliable, where Windows 7 will have drivers for PostScript or HP's PCL? Will toner or drums for those be hard to get?

            It is really nice having my own printer (I could live without one -- filing taxes electronically and printing pay information on the company laser). But I am starting to prepare my taxes now. As an Asperger's person, I am getting mentally tired switching back and forth between PDFs of forms on my ONE monitor. Sometimes you just need to PRINT THINGS OUT to quickly find what you are looking for.

            Any thoughts?
            Search ebay for NOS toner for the 4350TN. If no deals, go for re-manufactured; I've personally had good luck with LD products, the do legit rebuilds (new drum every time, not a crappy refill-only "rebuild"), really any re-manufactured cartridge is a safe bet. Toner doesn't expire (I've used 10+year old toner cartridges w/o issues), so IMHO it's a good investment.

            AFAIK windows 10 supports it (like 7 does), as does CUPS (for *nix and Mac OS X). If it were mine, I (or somebody who I knew who needed a GOOD printer) would still be rocking it... Unless the fuser blows up (unbaked toner streaks and foil chunks barfed up, only had it happen to me once), the only wear-out item are the rollers (which usually can be cleaned up with rubber-renue or even plain old alcohol) and the drum, which is a consumable often included in the toner cartridge assembly.

            Heck, my parents still use as old or older Laserjet 1000 series units... I "upgraded" them to a 1022n last night (had two of them sitting for 8+years, they wanted something networkable without going through the linux server they don't know how to maintain). I have a very old laserjet 4L that I still use once in a while (on a 10mbt 3-port parallel jetdirect box, both it and the printer still supported in windows 10!). Slow as dirt, but still works!
            sigpic

            (Insert witty quote here)

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              #7
              Re: Windows 7 Printer?

              I think, laser printer is a good choise for you in that case.

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