New HP Photosmart Printer
Posted about 1 year ago
Well my first blog of 2009 is going to be a great one! All Linux enthusiasts and supporters should read on! Long story short and getting up to the point, I wanted a nice networked printer for the home. Since all computers are going through a switch including the wireless router, everyone would be able to print to the same printer, without messing around with sharing it on a computer. So I start shopping around a bit, and surprisingly didn’t think much of Linux support. I suppose the main reason for this is that I have now used a slew of cheap HP, Brother and Lexmark printers on Linux without any issues.
Meet my nemesis of December 2008, Kodak! I was at the nearest Best Buy browsing the printers. To my misfortune so was a Kodak sales representative. Please understand that I am not much for typical sales people. Anyway this guy wasn’t so bad but still had that unlikable edge to him. Enough about that, let me get on to the bigger issue. Basically Kodak does not support Linux, no drivers are provided or schematics released to the Linux community. Ok, I am going to jump around some here. Here is an overview of my conversation with the representative, mind you I tried to represent the Linux community with some dignity by not cursing his company!
Me: I’m almost sold on Kodak’s printers, ink cartridge standardization, low printing costs. Now, I don’t expect you to necessarily know this, but do you know whether or not Kodak has support for Linux.
Representative: To be honest I don’t know, but I don’t think so.
I buy the printer available, something I normally wouldn’t do but in hopes that maybe Kodak will change and realize Linux is not the evil cult that it has been labeled as. Now, Best Buy did not have in stock the model I originally wanted but a step down yet. The Kodak representative clearly stated to me, more than once the only features lost are the wireless and double-sided printing. Maybe I expect too much but in my mind this was ok. I don’t NEED wireless, I only NEED wired networking. Which took five minutes to explain in the very beginning. That conversation went like this:
Me: I am looking for a printer that has a NIC in the back.
Representative: You want wireless.
Me: No, wireless is good, but I really want a network connection you know cat-5.
Representative: Oh, printers don’t have serial connections anymore.
Me: (thinking oh my, what is it going to take! so I start using other means of communication like using my hands to simulate a network cable)
Representative: Oh, ethernet!
Me: (BINGO! Ok, do you need a break now? Or can I continue?)
Ok, sorry about that rant! Now we are back to where I was a moron and actually bought this thing! So I get home, unpack it all load the cartridges yada, yada. I soon realize there is nothing but a mere USB connection in the rear. I was not terribly upset as I should have payed more attention anyway whatever, so I go back and return the damn thing! It must have been a blessing from Tux, because I suddenly realized how I had betrayed all of my beliefs. Kodaks gooney is still hovering around, so I walk up to him and with a massive smile announce that I bought a Kodak printer, and had brought it back then my reasons as you can imagine. I again breached the subject of Linux support this is the juicy part people, listen up!
Me: I just can’t buy something that doesn’t have Linux support, otherwise I would be sold on Kodaks printers.
Representative: I’m sorry to hear that. Do other manufacturers support Linux?
Me: Yes, matter of fact some even distribute their own drivers and support, while others release their schematics so the community may develop its own drivers. (I just dropped some big names I knew worked HP, Lexmark, Brother).
Representative: Oh I see. Well, to be honest you are the first person who has asked me about Linux. I’m sure if it was that popular Kodak would support it, but obviously not enough people to use it for us to bother.
Me: Completely dumbfounded at this great mass of ignorance in front of me. But I sense that it will get worse so I stick around!
Representative: We won’t release our information to the Linux community until there is more security that our information won’t be released to our competitors and the rest of the world. If we release our ink technology to the Linux community, everyone could then duplicate it…
Me: At this point I stopped listening because I realized there was no hope but then I did inform him. Not only was he completely incorrect and probably misinformed that there is not enough demand for Linux. Who told this poor guy anything about giving our their super secret ink technology.
Ok enough of all that! Let me just finish that part of this massive blog off with, I will not buy ANYTHING Kodak until they open up their eyes, oh yeah and get out of bed with Microsoft!
Relative Links:
Kodak’s Official Version Of Why They Do Not Supply Drivers For Linux
Linux drivers for kodak 5100 printer
Ok, let me talk about positive things now! Well as long as the subject is Linux! Long story short, I bought an HP Photosmart C6380 AiO from the same Best Buy for $200, well OfficeMax had it for $159 so I price matched. So far I am thrilled with it. I set it all up on the wireless, booted up my laptop running Xubuntu 8.04 (now using Gnome). Went into the printer configration, searched for printers, oh! What do you know it found a HP Photosmart C6380, connected installed its own driver, and I was printing just like that. Of course I then ran another cat-5 down to the switch, and now everyone is printing! Really though, talking strictly printer, putting my Linux fanboy attitude aside. I am happy with the printer. I will save an in depth opinion on it for later after I have really used it through and through.
Coming to a close here, the website design will soon change drastically, which is what I’m going to work on now!
Sean