[blim]

Daughter requested a new printer for her Birthday/Christmas.

She has an Apple Laptop (pretty sure its Leopard)

She can "plug right in" at her work printer and she says it's an "IM"??? (IBM maybe? but its a big machine and likely expensive)

She tried plugging into her brother's "elcheapo" HP and nothing happened. Just as well, he hoards his printer ink.

She needs something simple--mainly to print College papers/occasional picture but probably not photos; and something that is not a big monster like her work printer--a desktop type. Doesn't need to scan, copy or make sandwiches. *I* need something that isn't expensive

OH! And something very easy to set up--"plug and play" would be awesome. I know nothing about Macs and besides, I'm 50 miles away, and she's not a Geek.

Thanks in advance!

Liz

[isteve]

Almost any printer will work and most will be plug and play. A new model may not plug and play because the mac comes with lots of drivers but obviously can't have a driver for something that is brand new. But it's just a matter of installing a driver just like with any os.

To make you feel better just get a printer with the Mac logo on the side of the box then the driver will be on the included cd.

Just wanted to add that if she keeps her Mac updated she may have the driver. Apple pushes out new printer drivers every now and then.

[blim]

Ummmm, okayyyy, real dumb question and I give you permission to laugh. I'm fine with that, lots of people laugh at me

Looked online a bit and there were a couple HP printers that had a logo that was a blue square with two smiling faces smushed up against eachother. Is that the Mac logo?

I know, I know, but I gotta double check!

I HOPE she's keeping her idiotbox updated, but y'never know. Sigh.

Liz

This post has been edited by blim: 07 October 2009 - 11:35 PM

[isteve]

That is the happy Mac.

[blim]

Dats the logo I saw, thanks, Steve!

Liz

[jcl]

You might want to see if the drivers can be downloaded and look over the instructions. IIRC HP had at least one product that required Windows to install the Mac software. Seriously.

(Edit: Found it.)

[blim]

Whoa, that sounds tooooo complicated! I don't know how to do most of that stuff so I know Daughter would be totally lost. Thanks, Jcl

Will scour the brains of the Staples guys AND make sure theres a good return policy

Liz

[isteve]

That shouldn't happen with a printer. I do computer support for a school system and have set up hundreds of Macs with printers and only have had one problems with one HP printer. It was a HP that was discontinued I believe a LazerJet 1020 but the newer 1022 driver worked.

But if you buy a new printer chances are you just plug it in. My last printer I bought was a cheap HP all I did was plug it into my Apple Airport (wireless router) and both my Macs instantly saw the printer and printed to it with me doing nothing.

[iccaros]

isteve, on 08 October 2009 - 09:45 AM, said:

That shouldn't happen with a printer. I do computer support for a school system and have set up hundreds of Macs with printers and only have had one problems with one HP printer. It was a HP that was discontinued I believe a LazerJet 1020 but the newer 1022 driver worked.

But if you buy a new printer chances are you just plug it in. My last printer I bought was a cheap HP all I did was plug it into my Apple Airport (wireless router) and both my Macs instantly saw the printer and printed to it with me doing nothing.

When you plug in the printer, you may not get any feedback.. According to the Mac Genius, "well you plug-ed it in, why do I need to tell you what you just did?"

I bet if you plug in her brothers printer and tries to print, that it will be there ready to print to. I spent 3 hours messing with my printer before I just tried to print.

[blim]

iccaros, on 28 October 2009 - 11:59 AM, said:

When you plug in the printer, you may not get any feedback.. According to the Mac Genius, "well you plug-ed it in, why do I need to tell you what you just did?"

I bet if you plug in her brothers printer and tries to print, that it will be there ready to print to. I spent 3 hours messing with my printer before I just tried to print.

I wonder if that is what happened??? Anywhoooo, found a Canon Printer that actually INCLUDED the printer cord! And bought it for her Birthday. Don't know if they hooked it up yet

Liz