Searching for a "reasonable" printer

[Liviu Lalescu]

Could you recommend a "reasonable" printer? Laser or ink jet, simple or multifunctional with scanner and copier.

By reasonable I understand:

1) GNU/Linux, free software driver;

2) Allows simple manual refill from home.

I totally disagree with new printers, which do not allow the user to refill the cartridge, be it powder (for laser printers) or ink (for ink jet printers). It is too expensive, but most of all I hate the waste of resources.

Yes, it is very expensive. For instance, the 21XL black cartridge for HP Deskjet 2280. It is ~24 euros, for ~450 pages. 5 eurocents per page, that is higher than if I go to the copy shop to print something.

I heard that new printers force you to have a chip for each refill. So, physically it is possible to refill it and printing quality is good after that, but the manufacturer won't let you.

There is Windows. Very expensive and bad, in my opinion. So, some nice people created GNU/Linux. Didn't that happen with printers?

There is GNOME, which does not allow you to customize it, so some people, including Linus Torvalds, switched to Xfce. Didn't that happen with printers?

Is the technology regressing? Because in the past you could refill printers without problems.

[Zsolt Udvari]

I've a Samsung ML-2010. It's an old (about 3-4 years old) but works well. Cartridge doesn't have chip, you can open it, fill it at home Driver: splix.
Maybe you can try Samsung, I don't know about newer models...

[Liviu Lalescu]

Thank you! I will write down this option. But, quote from splix page you mentioned:

We are *NOT* affiliated to Samsung. These drivers have been produced without the approvement of this manufacturer either the Xerox one. These companies only distribute proprietary and old drivers.

Before I decide for such a printer, I would like to consider those which have free software drivers. Or there is no such thing?

Also, are there companies which do not forbid you (at least in instructions) to refill the cartridge?

[Volker Dirr]

maybe check this site:
http://www.linux-drivers.org/printer_scanner.html

in my opinion a laserprinter with PCL 5 or higher and Post Script 2 or higher is the best solution. You don't need a special driver in that case. All printers with that languages can use the same (open) driver. If you buy a printer with GDI-drivers or other special printerlanguage, then you will (normaly) need a closed drivers from the manufactor.

I still use an ~10 years old HP Laserjet 1200. It work fine (with over 20000 printed pages now). I also have a new colorlaserprinter. It is faster, but speed of the old printer is also ok. Even the colorprinter is much newer (also from hp), the quality is not (much) better (if you do a quick check with eyes only). But it do very much more noise and cartridges are more expensive. So i use that printer only if i need color.

I don't buy original cartridges anymore. I buy cartridge from other companys. Much cheaper and also good quality.

[Liviu Lalescu]

I don't buy original cartridges anymore. I buy cartridge from other companys. Much cheaper and also good quality.

Many years ago I bought a non-original cartridge, they call it "compatible". I think it was a used cartridge, refilled. It was about 2/3 of the original one price. It was bad from the start, printed badly and got dry very soon, leaving empty lines. So, I decided I will only buy original cartridges and fill them after they are empty, if that is allowed.

But, thinking of what you are saying, I might give it another try.

Compatible cartridge means it is a refilled original cartridge or they do the cartridge?

About older printers: I prefer to use a modern one. Comparing with operating systems, I don't want to use Windows 3.1, which might be cheap, I want to use a modern GNU/Linux, which is free and much better. Yes, the comparison is forced, but you get the idea.

[Volker Dirr]

your comparison is not good, because windows 3.1 has other features then modern systems. but printers just still print. it is more using an old keyboard. most keyboard have no new feature. (yes, i know, some might have new keys...)

lets compare the old laserjet 1200 with 2 other current printers from hp:
printer             laserjet 1200                 LaserJet Pro P1102   LaserJet P2055
resolution          1200*1200                     600*600              1200*1200
languarges/drivers  PCL 5e, PCL 6, PostScript 2   proprietary          PCL 5C, PCL 6, PostScript 3
pages per minute    14                            18                   33
cartiges            without chip                  unknown              unknown

You can see my 10 years old printer still speak the latest PCL 6 language! So the driver is the same to current one. Also relsolution is as good as current one.
Yes, my printer is slower. But i don't need to print 100 pages per day. So speed is ok. I also know my cartiges are cheap and they are without a chip. i am not sure about current ones.

i don't want to force to use old printers. i just want to say: check if it can speak PCL6. You won't have problems with the printerdriver in that case.

the cartriges from others companys are sometimes also refilled cartriges. i don't buy it from "unknown" companies. they are well known ones like "Geha", "Verbatim", ...

[Liviu Lalescu]

OK, I understood, you are right.