I was browsing for a good deal on a combined printer/photo-printer/scanner, and in addition to looking for good print quality and network connectivity, I wanted to be forward-looking and make sure the printer will support both Windows and linux-based PCs (as the latter is what I use at home)
Googling, I found a large database of linux-supported printers at LinuxPrinting.org, as well as advice about some of the major brands (Lexmark is a no-go, Canon difficult, HP and Epson sounds like they generally work). The main message from LinuxPrinting was:
[if you don't check compatibility:] Do not buy one and expect success.Luckily there's a ton of supported printers, including sevetal multi-functional devices. HP is going out of their way to support the linux community: their HP Linux Imaging and Printing (HPLIP) drivers and software looks amazing and influenced my buying decision: a HP PhotoSmart 2575, (wired-only) network-supporting multi-functional printer is now in house and I will test it shortly...
If you're a Linux user (or a prospective linux user) shopping for gadgets, it's worth searching a bit to ensure compatibility, but more and more people are reporting the same: Linux is now supporting an enormous amount of gadgets straight out of the box. Plug and play. No need for CDs with drivers and vendor bloatware. It just works.
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Anders Jacobsen [extrospection.com photography] |