On 11/19/2016 02:47 PM, Brian wrote:
On Sat 19 Nov 2016 at 13:16:57 -0500, Jape Person wrote:
On 11/19/2016 10:55 AM, Brian wrote:
Why is it important for the printer to be blobless? Look at it this way:
A printer is choc-a-bloc full of firmware. None of this firmware is
accessible to a user, even if something like an interpreter is based on
an open standard such as PostScript. Indeed, there may be a rasteriser
which itself uses a proprietary format such as URF.
Suppose there are some bugs in the firmware; for example, the AirPrint
facility ceases to work reliably with an i-device. This has happened in
the past and the manufacturer provided a binary blob to fix it. What
would you do?
Ok, I'll tell you what I would do. I would get the blob and upload it to
the printer to bring it back to a working state. I would do the same for
a troublesome PDF rasteriser. I see no difference between doing that and
getting an hplip plugin to have the printer (or scanner) working at its
full potential.
I'm just a little antsy about having the unknown executable residing on my
system drive. I just don't see why they felt they had to *design* the danged
thing to work this way. It reeks of someone trying to get his toe in the
door.
The firmware that resides in various places within the device itself at
least has to restrict itself to interacting with the computer via the
protocols used for printing, no? But the blob that resides on the system
drive gets executed by the OS. Seems a tad too intimate for my taste.
It may simply be my ignorance which compels me to feel this way, but --
after all -- if I know that I'm ignorant of the possibilities, why shouldn't
I be cautious? Yesteryear's printers and scanners had plenty enough features
to suit me and didn't require the blob. I'd like to find a blobless wonder
that will simply do what I need.
Another practical aspect is that the host-based plugin adds another
layer to the printing process. Bugs in it which turn a functioning
printer into a non-functioning printer are not unknown. Ok, they get
fixed but meanwhile.......
You have this one definite requirement and will have to firm up what
else you definitely want. I'll mention the HP OfficeJet Pro 8720
All-in-One Printer. It is relatively inexpensive, deals in PCL 3 and
has AirPrint. An interesting aspect of it is that it is claimed to be
an IPP Everywhere printer, meaning you need no drivers on the machine
you are printing from. But it is an inkjet.
Yes, thanks. I suppose I'll just have to go with an MFP that uses inkjet
instead of laser. It think it's curious that you can get a single
function Color LaserJet from HP that doesn't require the driver plugin.
You can get an OfficePro MFP which doesn't require the driver plugin.
But you can't get a single function scanner which doesn't require the
driver plugin.
I wanted a laser printer. I wanted a scanner. I didn't want an inkjet or
the driver plugin. There currently seems to be no way to accomplish this
exact set of specs. The closest I can come, I guess, is to buy a laser
printer and an inkjet MFP and just not use the inkjet printer portion of
the MFP.
Your suggestion of the 8720 or one of its close relatives is probably
the best I can do with HP. I appreciate your help on this, Brian.
Regards,
JP
