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Installing Printers on Intel iMac

Hi

This is my first post, so please be gentle...

I have just moved over from a G5 iMac to an Intel based one (from a PC a few weeks before).

I am trying to install a Lexmark X83 and Kodak Printer Dock 6000. I have downloaded and installed the latest drivers from both companies, but when I go into the printer configuration utility neither can be seen. There appear to be folders and files installed in the "Library" on the HD.

The printer dock doubles as a camera USB connection, and I can import pictures from the camera. The Lexmark is a printer/scanner combo and I can get the scanner to work fine, so I guess the USB conection is good.

Both printers worked fine last week on my G5 Mac - would new drivers be required to work on an Intel Mac; I would have though the O/S abstracts that?

Any assistance would be gratefully received, and I am happy to post details of the drivers etc if that will help.

Thanks in advance
Mark

iMac Intel Mac OS X (10.4.4)

iMac Intel Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Posted on Feb 5, 2006 8:54 AM

Best reply

Sharon Gozalkowski

Level 1

15 points

Posted on Feb 5, 2006 10:59 AM

Take a look at this apple info page. Your printer may not be supported by Tiger. I had an HP Printer that would not work with my intel iMac, turns out it was just not supported by Tiger even though previous OS X versions were supported. Ultimately I ended up purchasing a new printer.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301175

20" iMac Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.4) Airport Extreme

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42 replies

Feb 7, 2006 1:56 PM in response to Rod Assassa

I have installed 2 HP Laserjet 1020s on 2 Intel iMacs now. Both times I had to install it a couple of times and 'poke around' changing things and restarting the Mac - and both times it eventually worked. I wish I could be more specific - but there didn't seem any logic to it at the time. They have both worked solidly and without problems since though.

tivoboy

Level 1

15 points

Feb 7, 2006 2:00 PM in response to Carl Chamberlain

how? How did you do the install?

J Morris

Level 1

5 points

Feb 7, 2006 2:02 PM in response to tivoboy

I got an epson cx4200, and HP PSC 1610 to work on my Core Duo. I had to install the drivers several times, but on about the third time, it worked. If you manually install the printer you may have to look up and down the list, because it created more than one HP folder for my drivers.

WebSailor

Level 2

323 points

Feb 7, 2006 2:08 PM in response to Sharon Gozalkowski

Take a look at this apple info page. ...

... http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301175

I find it interesting that this list of supported printers also includes my old Epson Stylus 500 - which has parallel and serial ports only. But I was happy to find my old Epson Stylus 740 is still being supported in Tiger.

iMacfly

Level 1

25 points

Feb 7, 2006 5:27 PM in response to Rod Assassa

"Evidently, there is a problem with printing on an Intel Mac that has nothing to do with the OS." That sounds right. I had my Deskjet 812C working on a new Mac Mini with the latest OSX build and it worked very good with the drivers OSX installs. On my MaciNtel I get garbled text. It looks like it identifies my printer but it doesn't print well. If I do a cartridge cleaning all of the text looks normal. Well, we are the beta testers;)

iMac 17" Intel Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Feb 7, 2006 5:38 PM in response to iMacfly

In another forum someone had no problem installing my printer model but after some discussion it was determined that he was connecting via ethernet.

So it would be useful to know if those who are having these printer problems are only using USB connected printers or are the problems also being encountered while using ethernet? i.e. does the problem lie with the USB port perhaps?

My problem is connecting the 20 inch dual intel iMac via USB to a HP2550 color laserjet.

Feb 7, 2006 6:11 PM in response to tivoboy

I ran the install program - and the printer didnt show up as a choice - but ran install again and messed about trying diffent HP models that did show - eventually 1020 showed up there. Vague i know, but it worked twice. Absolutely no problem in use

Feb 7, 2006 6:15 PM in response to rogerdee123

I had problems with both directly connected via USB and Ethernet connected via Airport Extreme. Same results.

iMacfly

Level 1

25 points

Feb 7, 2006 8:03 PM in response to rogerdee123

My problem is with a USB connected printer.

Feb 8, 2006 1:42 AM in response to rogerdee123

Both my printers are connected via USB

Having dug around in the "HD/Library/Printers" folder it does appear that most of the drivers which install with the OS are marked as "Universal" (both on the icon and in the "Show Info"). The drivers from the printers I install are marked as "PowerPC" - I guess this would imply that the drivers do need to be rebuilt for Intel Processors; this is certainly reinforced by the messages in this thread.

I have posted a support call to Lexmark and am hoping for a reply in the next day or so - when (if) I get it I will report back.

The scanner on the Lexmark, and all the status stuff (like cartridge info) works fine - it's just that the printer does not appear in the list of printers in the config app and the driver hasn't installed.

I suspect we're going to be waiting (and hoping) for manufacturers to re-issue new drivers

iMac Intel Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Feb 8, 2006 7:07 AM in response to Mark@Holliers

Had that problem on my iMac 17" Core Duo. After a couple of installation/de-installation attempts i found out that the printer drivers ARE installed correctly (a HP LaserJet 6P IP printer in may case), but for some reason didn't show up in the printer preference pane until i closed the system preferences and restarted them again. Printing works from all applicatons.

cu/

Hans-Joachim

Feb 8, 2006 9:17 AM in response to Hans-Joachim Fabry

Yes - this bears out my experience too. I wasn't quite sure what I did that got it to work - but it was quite possibly the same thing.

Feb 11, 2006 4:52 AM in response to Carl Chamberlain

Hi

I have found this on the Kodak web site

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=3924/4547/7269&faqKnowledge base=157en&faqTopic=6&faqQuestionId=240&pq-locale=en_US&requestid=8586

Seems that drivers will need to be re-written for Intel processors

iMac Intel Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Feb 11, 2006 6:37 PM in response to Mark@Holliers

On another forum, someone was able to get their USB HP Printer working on the intel iMac using gimp-print drivers.

I haven't tried it yet.

Feb 11, 2006 7:16 PM in response to Mark@Holliers

OK here's my solution.

Put your Original Software Install disk #1 into the computer.

Open "Optional Installs" package

Select "Printer Drivers"

Chose HP (or whatever) and install the drivers. (The Gimp drivers are there also)

After the installation of the drivers .... Go back to your printer setup and remove your old printers. Then click add another printer (with your printer turned on and connected to your computer). Your printer will show up but you need to scan down the list of printer drivers and select the driver. In my case there was a new HP Driver with a revision number following it.

Try it ... my printer is finally working now after two weeks of screwing around!!!

Installing Printers on Intel iMac