Re: [gNewSense-users] Re: Need a printer for my computer - I think I found one "HP F2480"

[Sam Geeraerts]

Niklas Cholmkvist wrote:
> Hi,
>
> http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/printers linked to
> http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/supported_devices/combined.html .
> It shows a large table of printers (a lot for my Lemote Yeeloong
> iceweasel webbrowser, so it took some extra loadtime) and I found the
> one I want to buy "HP F2480" and the page says it works with free
> software. I doubt if the people in the shop have tried a fully free
> distribution with a printer. The link you suggested takes me to a page
> that doesn't show a table of printers.

I think I also looked at that page before I went printer shopping for a 
laser printer a few years ago. I remember coming up with a list of less 
than 10 printers that were (probably) well supported by free software 
and more or less matched my feature requests. From my own (limited) 
experience with printers I can say that HP printers work pretty well, 
even beyond basic printing (e.g. reading ink levels etc.). I've been 
less lucky with other brands (Epson, Lexmark).

Ask the shop people if you can test the printer there with a free distro 
live CD. If they don't allow that, ask if you can return it if it 
doesn't work with free software. If it does work, be sure to report it 
to the FSF's hardware list (you could write a detailed report on the 
gNewSense or LibrePlanet wiki and mail them a link).