[Sussex] Lexmark

[Geoff Teale]

On Fri, 2003-10-10 at 09:17, Angelo Servini wrote:
> Yep I should have mentioned that I use a HP 960c Deskjet Printer which is
> immediately recognised, configured and ready to use by Linux - no probs
> whatsoever.  You might ebay the Lexmark and get a HP (Not the sauce!).  ;-)


Just to say that I have a Lexmark printer that works very well with
Linux - but then it is a Postscript Laser.  If you had the kit before
you started using Linux then I have great sympathy for you.  Things you
could do:

* Wait until someone eventually writes a driver.
* Look up what this machine is called in the US (Lexmark are marketed as
IBM Printers in the US and have decent Linux support in the main) and
see if you can find any info on that.
* Email the manufacturer and indicate that there _is_ consumer demand
for Linux compatible printers.

If however you purchased this printer after you started using linux and
did so in the vain hope that it would work I'll give you some advice:

1//
Don't expect to be able to buy compatible hardware in consumer outlets
(Dixons, PC World, etc..).  You chances of success are minimal and the
staff advice in these places is worthless - remind yourself as often as
possible: "if this guy knew anything about computers he would not be
working for minimum wage in PC World in Crawley".

2// Manufacturers sell cheap "consumer" grade goods through these
outlets, they make small margins but look to sell to a mass audience of,
frankly, fools.  This kit is usually breaks within a couple of years of
service, if the drivers are still available for it by that point.  There
is no money in the companies coffers to make anything other than a
Windows driver (and rarely to even upgrade that), Mac's and Linux alike
are usually shunned as the returns from minority user groups.  These
companies will not, generally, release tech specs because they see it as
"giving away IP" for zero gain (the number of Linux customers who will
buy the kit does not justify the "risk").

2//
Do look for "professional" kit.  The upfront costs of buying a business
grade printer are higher but:

   * Day to day running costs are much, much lower.
   * The kit will last for years and years
   * Linux support is much, much better.

.. You see the business world "gets" Linux these days, printers in this
sphere, for example, need Linux support because an awful lot of print
servers are Linux.  Moreover devices in this class tend to conform to
standards (which is harder, and more expensive for the manufacturer)
which makes Linux's life much easier.

3//
Do read up on the kit before you buy.  Be sure that it works with your
software.  If you are not comfortable configuring Linux then make sure
that it works with the version of the software you are using (i.e if Red
Hat / Suse / Mandrake / Xandros / etc.. are using kernel 2.4.19 don't
buy hardware that isn't supported until 2.6.0 unless you  are happy
compiling and installing a new kernel).

-- 
GJT 
gteale at cmedltd.com 
-- 
One of the chief duties of the mathematician in acting as an advisor...
is to discourage... from expecting too much from mathematics. -- N.
Wiener