Color_Laserjet_Printers....

i use an hp laserjet pro 200  model  M276nw
it does all you want - here the specs : http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03315988
and is very reasonably priced

This is around $559 on amazon. The 600 resolution for same printer is half the price. I do not know if the 1200 resolution will make a big difference. Is the 4 pk cartridge $292 for this? that is very high.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415949,00.asp

http://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-M276nw-Printer-Version/dp/B008ABLJC4%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAICE7LOAJMK3SSLPA%26tag%3Dpcm_buyitnow-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB008ABLJC4

I would suggest a Brother Multi-Function printer (printer/fax/scanner/photocopy). Legal paper size can be had for about $100 and 11"x17" paper for about $170. The ink is much less expensive than HP printers: http://www.brother-usa.com/MFC/Color_Inkjet_Multifunction/#.VlXRKOIl-Np

>>  The 600 resolution for same printer is half the price    what are you talking about?

The Epson and brother printers referenced above are inkjet and not laserjet. It does not seem they support wireless printing too. I used inkjet once and thought it was a headache.

The HP laser printer seems to use 4 cartridges for about $100. I am not sure how many copies you can get from that.

If you click on the amaxon link above and scroll below for similar printers you will see this
HP LaserJet Pro 200 M251nw Wireless Color Printer (Old Version)

which is identiical printer except for 600x600 resolution for $259 compared to $559 (1200x1200)

there is one source : ask HP

ask HP about what?

You said you won that HP printer. How much does it cost you to buy cartridges and how many pages it can print with those?

The link you posted has 4 cartridges at 132 pounds which is about $200.

Does this seem correct? That is almost the price of a printer.

I tried al kinds of things with windows 7 and the old HP laserjet 6 and it wont work.

here the HP shop and prices to compare with :  http://store.hp.com/us/en/SearchFinderView?pageSize=9&inkTonerCategoryId=88341&pageView=grid&printerName=true&SkuId=10348&beginIndex=0&langId=-1&productName=HP+LaserJet+Pro+200+color+MFP&associationType=INK%2CPAPER&storeId=10151&Supplies=true

I see each cartridge runs about $85.

Do you normally have to buy one for each color (I.e, purple, green, red ,etc).
That becomes very expensive..

agreed - but they last much longer - remember how often you had to replace ink cartridges

I had HP Laserjet 6p Black & White laser printer  and I used to buy a cartridge for $50 that lasts 6 months. It seems I need to rethink the color option on whether I need it or not.

I think you are telling me that in addition to printer price, I have to buy 4 cartridges for around $340.
Is this correct?

Would inkjet be more economical that laserjet when it comes to color printers?

certainly not - look here for a detailed discussion; you find many others too :  http://www.itpro.co.uk/office-printers/innovation-at-work/25093/inkjet-vs-laser-printers

and don't forget they give excellent results on normal paper also - saves you buying photprint paper too

Your answer was not clear. Certainly not for what?

I read the article and it seems inkjet and laser are close except when you need to print for large workgroups where laser would be more appropriate.

The thing I was asking you is whether the cartridges for a laser printer are going to run me about $320.
Is this accurate? That would be more than the price of a printer.

We had a fuji inkjet and the cartridge set (4 colors) runs about $80 in costco.

historically seen, inkjets were much more costlier than laserjets
the article points out that the price difference is less now

that's what i meant

and don't forget -if you don't use it often  - inkjets dry out

Yes, but did you see my question on cost. Is it about $300 for laser cartridges?
If that is correct I might consider B &W. I do not print any pictures.

i asked the mod for more experts to give info

Epson now has the printers with ink tanks and the tanks are inexpensive to refill in comparison with the tiny ink cartridges.
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/Landing/ecotank-super-tank-printers.do which are wireless and are $600 on amazon 2550 is ~500 CDN These print up to 4000 Black/6500 Colour Pages without refilling.

It is not an apple to apple comparison when you want to compare mono laser printer with a color laser printer.

If you think that color is a must and the multi function machine is small, you shall be ready to pay for a much higher running cost.

First of all, I am certain that the 6p is supported by Win7. I will verify it tomorrow and let you know my findings . There is no point in throwing away a good printer. Of course, if you want to move into colour that's another story.  

As for cartridge costs, yes laser cartridges cost more than ink jet cartridges, but they will print a lot more pages, so overall the laser costs less per  page. Last cartridges are good for thousands of pages, ink Jets only for hundreds, at best. The printer comes with a complete set of cartridges, although for many printers they are only "starter" cartridges, which do not print as many pages. Hence the printer is ready to go at the purchase price.

Many printers these days use a chip that counts how many pages have been printed, and then when a certain page count has been reached, they tell you to replace the toner.

When my HP printer reported that I had less than 50 pages left, I just let it keep printing until the print quality began to degrade. I printed several hundred pages AFTER that alert!

Some of them only alert you, others first alert you, and then suddenly they just don't print until you change the toner.

Just as an aside, the 6p is still supported with Win7 / 2008 drivers but depending on how it's connected you may need a bidirectional USB to Centronics cable to connect it to the PC.

OK, a bunch of things.....
First, the laserjet 6P is supported in Windows 7; but, you'll have to go to Windows Update when the add printer wizard gives you that option and it will take awhile.  If it's fussing with you, its probably what you are trying to use for a parallel port which is causing the problem.  How are you connecting it to the PC?
Second; all color laserjets are expensive to buy the consumables for.  Back in the '90's, most printer reviews included the cost per page.  A B/W laser was generally in the 3-4 cents range, inkjets in the 18-40 cent range, and color laser's in the 85-200 cent range, per page. Color laser printing has come down some; but, is still the most expensive option.
Thirdly; inkjets, on the other hand, have had a recent war between manufacturers to bring down the price of ink.  In my Officejet Pro 8000, for example, there are four $26 ink cartridges; but, each is good for 2,200+ pages instead of 3-500 which brings the cost per page way down.
What is missing in all of this is the volume of printing which is a vital factor.  All of the printers are designed to meet a price point and, while moving from a consumer model to a business model significantly affects the price, the motors are twice as big, the mechanism is sturdier, and, for example, HP monochrome lasers have a 500,000 to 750,000 life expectancy!
If your OK with a monochrome laser, I'd suggest you look ate the HP LaserJet Pro 400: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/16249280815448497000?q=hp+laserjet+m401n&complete=0&hl=en&biw=1286&bih=980&site=webhp&bav=on.2,or.&bvm=bv.110151844,d.eWE&tch=1&ech=1&psi=dJR1VsrgHYTOmwHOiaDoBw.1450546263911.11&prds=hsec:online,paur:ClkAsKraX1_okFro_TK5o3QMsPOxFtl9A1hpWS-vhwTNOuYI3A5xnRO6JfsR6D_kXJcK_RwCYeaYEJoqepkG5fjkPGO8AGgvDIjwDKk2ba8d1vO1D-gwgKioyRIZAFPVH73P-DS-7zsy4CueJU9x6fuyWkrvIw&ved=0ahUKEwj0sLSruujJAhXL7SYKHVsuC5cQ2SsIEg&ei=x5R1VrSxDsvbmwHb3Ky4CQ
If you attach it to your network, everbody will be able to use it.

The laserjet 6p printer is connected to PC via USB cable and I tried all kinds of troubleshooting techniques for months. I originally thought it was Norton until I removed it completed from PC. It would work sometimes but after a reboot we are back to square 1. I got tired of spending too much time on it.

I also thought it might be the cable or port until I connected a Fuji inkjet which printed always fine.

USB to parallel converter cables are not the most reliable interfacing method. I prefer to stay clear of them, and MASQ's suggestion of a PCI parallel port is the best one. Of course, if you are using a laptop then that's not exactly practical.

The best connection in my point of vies is a network cable. If a printer can't be upgraded with an internal ethernet printserver, you can use an external one. Many HP printers of that vintage could be upgraded with an internal printserver, but I don't know about yours. External Print servers have problems with multifunction printers, as they usually don't support the non printer parts of the printer, but with just a simple old printer like yours they shouldn't have any problems.

I bought and tried this printer before and did not work.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005138I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I can try external print server if there is any chance it will solve the problem. Anything specific you recommend?


Also, I am not sure why you mentioned inkjet cartiidges are same price as Laser printers. I went to office depot today and I saw a set of color ink cartridges for about $80 while four color laser cartridges will run about $300.
Am I missing something?

I don't know who said inkjet cartridges are the same price as laser. What I mentioned  was that lasers get a lot more pages per cartridge. I mentioned inkjets doing hundreds of pages, lasers thousands per page. The cost per page is lower on lasers.

As for parallel port print servers, with your printer just about any reputable brand will work : Netgear, D-link, etc

The straight forward way that MUST work is to get a HP Jetdirect 300x Fast Ethernet Print Server and setup your Laserjet 6p as a network printer with fixed IP address.

Get a used one from Amazon and it does not cost much.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0009HMXHW/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1450673747&sr=8-1&keywords=jetdirect+300x&condition=used

Are you sure adding a printer card in PC or adding a print server may resolve this issue with the USB/parallel direct cable printing? I have a cable internet so I am not sure I can get  a static IP because it will cost much more.

if your cable modem only has 1 ethernet port you will need a router (preferred) or a switch to connect the two devices to the same network

Sam15,

He's not talking about a public, static ip which is only necessary if you need reliable access from the internet side.  I can be in BFE, for example, and still access several of my clients because they have a static ip and pay extra for it.

Inside your house, with any router, the local network will support up to 254 devices, all of which share a public ip assigned by your ISP.  My router assigns 192.168.0.xxx and my three printers are set to static ip's of 192.168.0.150, 151, and 152.  You do this in the printer's web management and it makes the printer stay put so things don't get confused when the power goes out.

Adding that Jetdirect JackieMan suggested and setting it to stay in the same place on your local network will make it work until the printer completely craps out.

I suggested that LaserJet Pro 400; though, because:
It has the network interface, built-in.
It has a true USB port built-in in case you don't want everyone in the house to use it.
Warms up and starts printing 10 times faster than the HP 6P.
Prints up to 35 pages per minute instead of 6.
Is a new product that is supported by modern PC's.

If you're likely to need a toner cartridge, this year, it won't cost much more to buy the 400.

There are many models for the laserjet 400 and many are discontinued. Which one you meant?

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=hp+laser+jet+pro+400+m401n&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=60185953262&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3221269649494010223&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4rxbnvnqoe_b

IOT sems M553DN also has good reviews but pricey.
http://www.itpro.co.uk/office-printers/24578/hp-color-laserjet-enterprise-m553dn-review

That M553DN is a color laser printer which IS awfully cheap if you really want color; but, here is the new(er) version of the monochrome for $249 at Office Depot:
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/714234/HP-LaserJet-Pro-M402dn-Monochrome-Laser/

P.S. They still carry the M401 so HP just discontinued it.

The link you posted for M402dn model does not show it is wireless or color. That is a regular B&W cable printer.

So you want color?
And, as long as you plug its Ethernet into your router, everyone, wired or wireless on your network will be able to use it.

Sam,

Re your comment #41379625, yes, I am certain that a PCI parallel card will solve your problem.  It is also the cheapest solution. The printserver will also work, but it does depend on your having a spare network port. And they are more expensive than a PCI card.

A new printer, mono or colour is more expensive still. And, of course, it you want it networked, the same issue applies as for a printserver: you must have a spare network port, or you'll be up for even more money in the form of a switch/router.

I assume I have to find the right PCI card for the Dell machine and install that. I am not sure how would this solve the problem unless you think that USB printing is causing the issue and not the driver.
If it is a driver issue it will cause same problem regardless.

Is there an external PCT card or only print servers have that. I think I may have another ethernet port on machine.

It seems for wireless printers I have to set the printer next to my router and connect it directly to router so other devices can send the print job to printer via router and wireless card. Is this correct?

What model Dell do you have? If it is a desktop then it will almost certainly take a standard PCI card. If it's a laptop then NO PCI card will fit. The 6P driver you use is fine.

I am going to try the proposed solution of using print server to see if it works.

Would this item work and how do I set up a private IP for this old printer?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CFATRE/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_g147_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=0A6Q4787FEYRN9V1HTMN&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=77b9e727-3844-3e7b-b75e-2a06ec7f4c9a%2Fbd36e47d-2d59-3c88-ae2c-e9e892c5a813&pf_rd_i=13983761

Which one you recommend that will work with this printer?

The printer is 20 years old and used to work fine with WIndows XP. Everyone here says it still should work with Windows 7 but it seems it works fine shortly after setup and then after a PC reboot it stops.

Get the HP JetDirect 300X; it was made for that printer: ($13.50 with printer cable)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-JetDirect-300X-w-power-supply-and-printer-cable-/331743047328?hash=item4d3d6d2ea0:g:IEUAAOSwk1JWgvHw
Support page: https://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/psi/home/?sp4ts.oid=27316&ac.admitted=1451481422004.1123376534.492883150
Users Manual: https://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/action.process/public/psi/manualsDisplay/?sp4ts.oid=27316&javax.portlet.action=true&spf_p.tpst=psiContentDisplay&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&spf_p.prp_psiContentDisplay=wsrp-interactionState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-bpj06151%257CdocLocale%253Den_US&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken
Remember (!!!) to do a factory reset before you set it up (page 2-4)