Inkjet printer recommendation?

Question

Level 1

26 points

Inkjet printer recommendation?

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can recommend a good wireless inkjet printer to use with Yosemite.

I've had a ton of compatibility problems with my current printer, which is a Lexmark Z2420. For example, Mac OS won't recognize it unless I type in the IP address and manually select the driver. There are three or four copies of the printer utility on my computer, and none of them work right; some crash, others won't find the printer. After a recent change of ink cartridges, I was unable to run the print alignment or clean the print heads. I've basically been fighting with this thing for years and ready to find something new.

Most people judge printers on things like cost and print quality. Me, I want something that will work reliably for years without constant manual intervention, and which won't mysteriously break down every time Apple issues a new version of Mac OS.

Thanks,

Frank

Posted on Apr 5, 2015 4:46 PM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

141,332 points

Apr 5, 2015 6:33 PM in response to flarosa

Nearly all printers or multifunction devices will work with a Mac, but I recommend purchasing one from a company that visibly supports OS X. Brother, Canon, and Epson are all good choices. No other manufacturer is worth considering.

Wireless all-in-one devices are convenient and cost about the same as USB-only ones. Consider AirPrint compatibility for future needs.

Recently I have grown to favor Brother printers over the others. I recommend AirPrint compatible Brother printers and multifunction devices over those of other manufacturers. They are inexpensive, their OS X integration is well-implemented, their consumables are reasonably priced, and their technical support is free forever. If you need to call them and explain that you have a Mac, you will immediately receive competent assistance. I positively hated every inkjet printer I ever owned before purchasing Brother.

I have grown to dislike HP printers, for all the above reasons.

Read user reviews from vendor websites - Amazon is a good place to start, since Amazon lets people write almost anything they want... right, wrong, or completely idiotic.

Read the reviews on the respective manufacturers' websites as well, but consider the likelihood of them deleting negative reviews.

Process all those user reviews employing your own common sense, and draw your own conclusions.

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Answer 2

arthur

Level 5

5,242 points

Apr 5, 2015 7:19 PM in response to flarosa

I have an HP officejet pro 8600. I've had many different printer brands over the years. Canon and Epson most recently.

The HP works very well.

Definitely better than any other printer I've ever had.

Your comment about the mysterious breakdowns every time there is a new OS:

Sometimes the new OS requires an updated driver. When there's a new OS, your'e supposed to update your drivers.

Another thing I've learned is not to install any "utilities" from the printer manufacturer. Just the driver.

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