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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2006-09-05, 09:21

I've found that there are some functionality differences between the preinstalled OS X drivers (which mostly just let you "print") vs. dedicated ones downloaded from the manufacturer.

My friend has an HP Deskjet 5550(?), or something very close (four digits, lots of "5"s ). When you plug it in and configure it, it'll certainly print. But she didn't have access to all the various customization options, ink monitoring, print quality/ink saving options, etc. until she went to HP and got the one from there.

And the exact thing happened with me and my little cheapo Canon i350.

In any case, I don't see OS X drivers at HP's site for this 1018 model:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...&cc=us&lang=en

If it were me, I'd return it and get a similar printer that I know has OS X drivers/functionality. You can try torifile's suggestion, but who knows if you'll get all the bells and whistles? I'd always wonder, or feel as though I'm working with a jerry-rigged set-up that could go at any moment.



If HP themselves don't list Mac drivers/software for it, I'd have to wonder about any native, OS X built-in support/functionality...how robust and full-fledged is it?

Use HP's site to find a similarly-equpped/featured printer as the 1018 with native Mac support.

DISCLOSURE: I say/recommend the above as someone who ISN'T a tinkerer, not particularly fond of downloading weirdo third or fourth party patches and unofficial "workarounds", etc. and simply likes to buy and use stuff with full Mac OS X support...because I get no thrill or joy whatsoever out of screwing around with software, drivers, patches, updates, fixes, hacks, etc., or generally feel like I'm "fighting" my system to try and get the impossible to "sorta work". I like my stuff to work like it's supposed to, out of the box, with little-to-no-effort or sweat on my part. YMMV...some people live for that kind of stuff (the "challenge" of getting things to work together that technically shouldn't), and I realize that. But not me.


Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2006-09-05 at 09:36.
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