[GTALUG] Printers

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: Tim Tisdall <tisdall at gmail.com>

| I've also used the Brother DCP-7065DN (which has a wired ethernet
| interface) and that works well with Linux.  It doesn't do colour, but it
| has a page scanner with a sheet feeder.  I was able to use the SimpleScan
| program in linux over a network to scan (even with the sheet feeder!).
| Brother provides linux driver binaries.  Staples seems to have it now for
| $179.

I have one of these.  I think that I paid about $100 many years ago.
It's a reasonable printer but I'll list the things I don't like.

- it requires binary drivers.  This is a bit scary -- what happens
  when Brother stops support.  But, as I said, I've had it for years
  and Brother has maintained support.

- a network printer with binary drivers is even worse.  Each machine
  that will use the printer directly needs the proprietary drivers installed.

- the toner cartridges have small capacity so you need to buy new ones frequently.
  (Third party ones are available.)

I'd pay more for a printer that didn't require binary drivers.

A nice touch: although the flatbed scanner cannot handle legal size
documents, the sheet-fed scanner can.