Are there wireless printers that don't require software running onthe laptop?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bud H
  • Start date Start date
B

Bud H

I am considering purchasing a wireless all-in-one printer. I have
some experience with a friend's HP J4680 and Brother MFC-390CW and
both of them require specific software programs to be running on any
laptop that is to try to print wirelessly through the Wi-Fi printer
connection.

Is this typical of wireless printers? Is there a company that makes
a wireless printer which doesn't require a memory hogging software
program from the printer manufacturer to be running on the laptop to
be able to print wirelessly?

Bud H
 
Bud H said:
I am considering purchasing a wireless all-in-one printer. I have
some experience with a friend's HP J4680 and Brother MFC-390CW and
both of them require specific software programs to be running on any
laptop that is to try to print wirelessly through the Wi-Fi printer
connection.

Is this typical of wireless printers? Is there a company that makes
a wireless printer which doesn't require a memory hogging software
program from the printer manufacturer to be running on the laptop to
be able to print wirelessly?

Bud H
Click to expand...

Multifunction printers often require software, but once it's on the network
you can "with some printers" view it and rightclick/install drivers (if
using windows) and be able to use the print function.

I think the bloated software is typical of multifunction printers more than
a function of printers with a printservers attached.
 
I am considering purchasing a wireless all-in-one printer.  I have
some experience with a friend's HP J4680 and Brother MFC-390CW and
both of them require specific software programs to be running on any
laptop that is to try to print wirelessly through the Wi-Fi printer
connection.

Is this typical of wireless printers?   Is there a company that makes
a wireless printer which doesn't require a memory hogging software
program from the printer manufacturer to be running on the laptop to
be able to print wirelessly?

Bud H
Click to expand...

Bloated software is the norm for everything. The software for my HP
B-9180 was 250mb, was having problems with one component so I cleaned
everything off my HD that didn't say B-9180 and I was down to 40mb.
Installation didn't give options of what to install. But the printer
needs the driver to work so you are sort of stuck, there are no
universal drivers.

Tom
 
Bud H,
The Printer Models you listed, are multifunctional printers, the specific
software is needed for, connecting wirelessly to your network, scanning,
printing, faxing, etc... This software must be installed on each laptop/pc, if
you want to use the features from the printer.

1. If your printer, router, and say a desktop PC, is in one room. You may be
able install the whole package on the desktop that is connected to the router &
printer. So you will use the desktop PC for all your scanning and faxing.

2. So on your Notebooks, you will just need to install the printer drivers and
the software for the wireless connection.

3. If you only have notebooks connecting to your network, you will need to
install all the software on at least one of them, so you can do faxing, scanning
from the printer.

4. You may need to upgrade your notebooks with more RAM, or if you are using
notebooks, at least while doing a project, other than a simple job, connect
directly to the router, with a Ethernet cable.
 
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