[NTLUG:Discuss] Color Laser Printers for Linux - Recommendations?

[Chris Cox]

Chris Cox wrote:
> Stan Gatchel wrote:
>> Well, the old Apple LaserWriter 630 has been diagnosed with a bad logic 
>> board. Can't locate one on Ebay soooo, after 15 years I'm on the prowl 
>> for a new printer. I was thinking about color lasers. I am using 
>> PCLinuxOS 2007. It looks like they have a lot of print drivers.
>>
>> I mainly do business printing (mostly text but it would be nice to spot 
>> some color once and a while). My wife prints full color from africam all 
>> the time so she would use most of the toner. :-/
>>
>> I have a Linux desktop and Mac in the same room (no wireless yet) and 
>> want to share a printer via ethernet. Looking for a new one under say $600
>>
>> Any recommendations?
> 
> Well... I'll tentatively recommend the HP CP3505, but it's more than
> what you were wanting to pay.  My advice is to be careful.  Toner pricing
> is expensive.  For example a lower end (more affordable) HP color laser
> might be half the price, BUT the toner cartridges only hold 1/3 as much
> yet cost half as much.  So... depending on how long or how much you use
> the printer, the higher end business models may pay for themselves (the
> price difference) only after a year or two and you get the nice features
> like PostScript, network, duplex, etc.
> 
> Also, HP (for example) delivers their printers with full toner
> cartridges, whereas other vendors only ship half or 1/3 cartridges
> with their printers.  Oddly, in a lot of cases, competitive printers
> end up cost double that of the HP if you consider that.
> 
> Also, with an HP, you replace a cartridge instead of up to 9 different
> parts (HP cartridges are all-in-one).
> 
> So... laser on the cheap?  Maybe not... or maybe yes...
> 
> Why "tentatively" recommend?  Christmas isn't here yet :-)
> 

Mrs. Cox bought me the HP CP3505.  It's great!