There are no websites that offer help with Windows printer drivers because there is absolutely no problem with printer drivers in Windows?Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryctx
Printable View
There are no websites that offer help with Windows printer drivers because there is absolutely no problem with printer drivers in Windows?Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryctx
If you buy an HP printer, it includes all you need to install and use on a Windows machine.
For Linux you must go to the web just to obtain the driver.
Is this a big deal? Not for you and I. But it is beyond what the vast majority of computer users want to do. The mass market wants the computer to be an appliance with no more training needed than for a TV or microwave oven. No OS is that simple to use, and Mac probably comes closest, but Windows is second and Linux is third.
In fairness, this is a Catch-22 for Linux (and to a lesser extent for Mac). HP wont invest in driver development until Linux is more widely used and Linux use will suffer while manufacturer support is limited. Our best bet is user experience at work as businesses switch to Linux.
Even then my advice will be, if you need to ask "Should I use Linux?" you shouldn't.
Everything? I believe the note on this HP printer applies to both Windows and Linux. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryctx
Note: This printer does not ship with printer-to-computer USB cable.
Yep, everyone may not be aware of this issue.
This may or may not be true. The HP Deskjet printer I have used for years works great in Linux with the CUPS drivers included in many distributions and is installed at the same time the operating system is.Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryctx
Since it has recently gone south I am considering an all in one. I am interested in an HP because of the support. I find the HPLIP driver listed in the Ubuntu package manager.
My advice would differ. If someone is interested in Linux they should take a look themselves. The Ubuntu install CD is also a Live CD. Very easy to see if you are interested. It also offers the WUBI installer which installs a Linux image to an NTFS filesystem. I installed it to Windows Vista Home Basic. It requires no partitioning and is a very simple way to see what Linux is like. Will everyone like it? I think not. But it is easy to try.Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryctx
Your post supports my position better than anything I can say. Thank you.
You're welcome. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jerryctx
Thanks Jerry for not calling me a nerd but I must admit that sometimes the glasses do fit :)
Linux/Ubuntu is not for everyone but if all you are doing is e-mail, word processing and internet surfing it is a good OS for someone who does not want to pay for VISTA. If there are more specific tasks you need to do then you should have some computer knowledge.
It is true that not all hardware will run on Linux and that the manufacturers don't list on their sites whether they do or not. The Linux community though does an excellent job of listing what works and what does not. As a result I have not had a problem with printers (HP and a NEC) or with my wireless adapter. In fact I get better wireless connection in Ubuntu then I do in XP.
One of the great things about Linux is that most of the flavors, like Ubuntu, come with a live CD so that the "average person" can take it for a test drive. If they can't get it to work they do not have to use it and to top it all off, they did not spend any money to get a fully functional OS.
To finish this, let me say that Ubuntu keeps improving all of the time and is getting to the point where it will work with most hardware out there and without having the average user do any reconfiguring.
That is all this nerd:cool: has to say.
Doc
As an update....
I did get a new all in one printer. An HP Officejet J4580.
It prints and scans great in Linux (Ubuntu). Haven't tried the FAX yet.
Since there was some operator error I cannot give you a good description of the difficulty or ease of the hardware detection. It seems the printer end of the USB cable fits quite well into the phone line connection. When troubleshooting pointed to the USB cable a correction to the correct port solved the problem.
And here's a great anti-Linux article. Personally I find that it is not useful to anyone really wishing to evaluate Linux. But, hey, everyone can make up their own mind.
I stopped reading when I saw the second paragraph:
Linux fans don't try to replace Windows for everyone. Linux is just an alternative, among many others, for those who WANT or NEED something else, including the effort to learn, tinker, patch and develop on your own. If you're perfectly happy with Windows, stick to it, nobody's forcing you to go any other way. If you're happy with your car, all the car tuning enthusiasts won't force you to buy a chassis and a kit car and build your own, just because this option exists.Quote:
[Linux fans'] mission: to replace Microsoft Windows and proprietary applications with the Linux operating system and freeware. [...]
Unfortunately, with all due respect for his professional achievements, Mr. Rod Kovel ventured in an area outside of his expertise, blasting a commentary started on assumptions proven to be wrong from the second paragraph. A waste of time for writing that and a waste of bandwidth for opening it in my browser, IMHO. But this reflects the general view over Linux: everyone believes they're a computer specialist when they learn that triple-clicking in Word selects the entire paragraph, so then they venture in a Linux LiveCD only to run back to Windows in 30 seconds screaming with anger.
Bah.
To contrast the anti-Linux article I posted, I will post this nice discussion of Linux.