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

[Chris Cox]

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 :-)