Truth is I haven't set up many printers (thank the Lord) but I have been struggling with one of these newfangled smart web HP printers which is basically a giant billboard for their new old 'Smart' app.
I've been suffering with it because I refuse to use the app, so it's either printing locally over USB (which has been utterly impossible) or a CUPS-based setup. I just about managed to set up cups and get it working (PPD files, etc.) and then it wouldn't print black. An hour later I thought of printing something in colour, worked fine, so the ink cartridge dried up. Great. Something else is wrong with it. This isn't including the fact that the software absolutely sucks, especially on Windows. I spent hours and hours trying to get it to work on Windows, with HP constantly begging me to install either a mobile application or some sort of weird DRM'd desktop program that'd send data to HP.
Even if I did want to put it on WiFi (I don't!), it's impossible to even do that (you'd think they'd make it easy, considering the data it sends to HQ). I tried my best to connect it with the WPS tomfoolery but it just wouldn't work. What did the manufacturer say? Oh, download the app of course.
Oh, and to top it all off: this WiFi printer does not have Ethernet, so it's situated right next to the router interfering on the 2.4GHz band with its useless WiFi Direct thing. I have no idea how to turn that off. It's one problem after another.
On the other hand, this Canon Pixma MP280 I have is one of the best printers I have ever had the joy of using. On Linux, you plug it in and it's no bother, aside from the ocassional glitch. I mostly use it for scanning, but have also done some printing on it a while back and it was totally fine with it. You just turn the printer on, open the Document Scanner app on the computer, and click Scan. No fucking apps plastered all over the manufacturer's website, no WiFi nonsense which completely falls apart. Just standard protocols. You don't even need a driver to use it on the computer, much less a full suite of programs like HP forces on you.
The only reason I'm suffering with the HP printer is because I bought a surplus of ink for it (thinking it was a good printer) and, bearing in mind the insane prices of these things (£10 a pop!), I don't really want to waste the ink.
I don't feel comfortable downloading apps. Maybe I should just get old printers. Oh, we have been thinking of getting an EcoTank. They look pretty good.
> Oh, and to top it all off: this WiFi printer does not have Ethernet, so it's situated right next to the router interfering on the 2.4GHz band with its useless WiFi Direct thing. I have no idea how to turn that off. It's one problem after another.
disassemble it and cut off the antenna. or ground it with a piece of a wire. or both.
I've been suffering with it because I refuse to use the app, so it's either printing locally over USB (which has been utterly impossible) or a CUPS-based setup. I just about managed to set up cups and get it working (PPD files, etc.) and then it wouldn't print black. An hour later I thought of printing something in colour, worked fine, so the ink cartridge dried up. Great. Something else is wrong with it. This isn't including the fact that the software absolutely sucks, especially on Windows. I spent hours and hours trying to get it to work on Windows, with HP constantly begging me to install either a mobile application or some sort of weird DRM'd desktop program that'd send data to HP.
Even if I did want to put it on WiFi (I don't!), it's impossible to even do that (you'd think they'd make it easy, considering the data it sends to HQ). I tried my best to connect it with the WPS tomfoolery but it just wouldn't work. What did the manufacturer say? Oh, download the app of course.
Oh, and to top it all off: this WiFi printer does not have Ethernet, so it's situated right next to the router interfering on the 2.4GHz band with its useless WiFi Direct thing. I have no idea how to turn that off. It's one problem after another.
On the other hand, this Canon Pixma MP280 I have is one of the best printers I have ever had the joy of using. On Linux, you plug it in and it's no bother, aside from the ocassional glitch. I mostly use it for scanning, but have also done some printing on it a while back and it was totally fine with it. You just turn the printer on, open the Document Scanner app on the computer, and click Scan. No fucking apps plastered all over the manufacturer's website, no WiFi nonsense which completely falls apart. Just standard protocols. You don't even need a driver to use it on the computer, much less a full suite of programs like HP forces on you.
The only reason I'm suffering with the HP printer is because I bought a surplus of ink for it (thinking it was a good printer) and, bearing in mind the insane prices of these things (£10 a pop!), I don't really want to waste the ink.
I don't feel comfortable downloading apps. Maybe I should just get old printers. Oh, we have been thinking of getting an EcoTank. They look pretty good.