scanner help

[Guigsy]

Agreed most units will work with the unified driver but if you want / need full access to the unit it's better to install the manufacturers drivers.

Used to be a big HP fan having had LaserJet 3, 4, 4000, etc and various ink multifunction devices but was put off latterly by their software (bloatware!). Maybe they've "amended their policy" on their software now?

Currently mainly using an ancient Dell 1320n laser with unified driver and an OKI 363 multifunction with dedicated drivers. Really like the OKI policy with there being around half a dozen different pieces of software / drivers so you can be selective on what you instal whereas as HP used to be an all or nothing approach.

I don't think there are manufacturer's drivers anymore. Everything for my HP 9019 in the device manager says Microsoft drivers, including for the imaging devices. In the last few years, the printer manufacturers have switched to just doing the applications. The printers have got so much smarts on board, they don't need a computer to tell them where to place individual dots. The printers get fed a much higher level data, and they figure it out themselves. Hence pretty much anything can send a job to a printer now.

 

[Gellyneck]

I don't think there are manufacturer's drivers anymore. Everything for my HP 9019 in the device manager says Microsoft drivers, including for the imaging devices. In the last few years, the printer manufacturers have switched to just doing the applications. The printers have got so much smarts on board, they don't need a computer to tell them where to place individual dots. The printers get fed a much higher level data, and they figure it out themselves. Hence pretty much anything can send a job to a printer now.

When you update Windows it can tend to overwrite dedicated printer drivers with the unified driver.

 

[Guigsy]

When you update Windows it can tend to overwrite dedicated printer drivers with the unified driver.

Given the track record of peripheral manufacturers leaving huge security holes and open exploits on their drivers, as well as just general bugs that cause stability issues? I'd prefer to leave it to the team that wrote the operating system to use the method that avoids the need for printer drivers to have deep hooks in the system. Unified is a rare good thing from Microsoft.

 

[meanders]

I have had a good few HP printers over the years in the business. Now just have a little Brother mono laser over Ethernet that is great for just over £100 I paid for it, and Canon multifunction also over Ethernet that I think was about £75. Ink isn't cheap though. Both use the MS drivers but I use Canon's own scanner application software. Both claim to use Wifi, but given the proximity to the router, why use bandwidth for that unnecessarily?

 

[Riverbankannie]

I bought an HP printer scanner and had to return it and get my money back. Could not get it to work on wifi. Even had their tech support on the phone. Went through loads of ink and paper printing test sheets and reports.
Went back to tried and trusted Canon.

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[Odd-no-more]

I have an epsom printer/scanner, when it works it's good. But it sometimes fails to work or sometimes it doesn't show on the printer folder. The last time I couldn't get it to connect at all wireless. After I put a cable on it works ok but now I can't print from my phone.