****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Satisfactory printer that can even work on Linux.MY OPINIONI like this printer. It is worth the money I spent. I plan to keep it.When I purchase an electro-mechanical gizmo like this, I see it as a risk. I could receive a malfunctioning unit and get the evasive run-around from customer support. That could have happened to me, but I got lucky (so far).IMAGE QUALITYThe image quality is by no means perfect. At least this is so for someone like me who knows very little about advanced image control techniques (such as adjusting my computer’s color profiles and so on) that may radically improve the image quality from this printer.Image problem 1: Printed images are darker than what I see on my video monitor. Printed images are also darker than a printed image of the same file, as printed by a professional art printing company (such as Fineartamerica.com).Image problem 2: Some shades of green get printed more similar to one another than they’re supposed to be. So far, I have only noticed this problem pertaining to greens. But shades of other colors may also exhibit this problem, for all I know and have yet to discover.Image problem 3: Glossy finish means the printed images will have restricted viewing angles on penalty of seeing too much glare from reflected light sources. But I suppose that’s just how it goes with all color laser/led printers.Image problem 4: If one does observe the print from a glaring angle, one can notice straight lines in the image, artifacts of the paper transport mechanisms. But these lines are not streaks, and vanish from sight when viewing the image without glare.To spite these problems, the image quality satisfies me. I only plan to print copies of my abstract art and promotional fliers on occasion. Color faithfulness is not a priority for this.And again, the color and brightness accuracy problems might be solvable by an expert in digital image management, which I’m not.PAPER HANDLINGI’ve printed about 20 sheets so far, and one got a small “dog-ear” fold in a corner. I find that acceptable.INSTALLATIONMy unit is configured as a local network printer for about 10 computers throughout my apartment. It uses the wireless network interface.I was a bit baffled for awhile about how to connect the printer to the wifi. But printer setup menus tend to baffle me in general. The real mystery for me is always how to enter the wifi password or “key”. I have a vague memory of having to consult the internet to discover how to do it, as it seems I didn’t find any instructions in the documentation that came with the printer. Oh well. I got it done.Connecting the printer to my computers was an adventure, not because of any serious problems. But because I’m the curious sort who wants to see whether I can connect the printer to a variety of operating systems. I successfully connected the printer to Windows 7 (32 and 64), Windows XP (32), OSX 10.5, and OSX 10.4, Linux Ubuntu 14.4.04 (64), Linux LXLE (32). (No luck with Windows 98. Ha ha.) The real adventure was the Ubuntu and LXLE. That took research.***Windows 7***Using the installation CD, Windows 7 connections went well. Except, for some mysterious reason, on my apartment-mate’s Windows 7 computer. After the install wizard completed, no icon for the printer appeared in the printer’s window. So I had Windows do the installing instead of the CD. That worked.I refused to install the additional maintenance software, by un-checking all the boxes for such things in the final screen of the install wizard. I read somewhere that installing such stuff can set the printer to accept only proprietary Dell toner cartridges that are hella more expensive.***Windows XP***Ok. So, similarly with the Windows XP connections. Install CD does fine.***OSX***The OSX 10 connections require one to first run the install wizard on CD, then have OSX install the printer. Weird. The OSX installer on the Dell CD does not run automatically. You must open the CD, then open the folder appropriate to your version of OSX, then double click the .mpkg file to start that wizard. When that wizard completes, go to Apple Icon>System Preferences>Print & Fax. There you will find your printer listed. Click on it and install it for real.***Linux***There are no official Linux drivers for this Dell 1760nw. But since this Dell 1760nw is really just a re-packaged Xerox Phaser 6000B, the Linux drivers for that Xerox Phaser 6000B can be used to do the job. You just need to know the secrets of getting and installing that driver.I therefore present those secrets, as instructions for the absolute Linux nubie. The instructions are for Ubuntu, but other Debain derivatives like LXLE seem to work very similarly.>>>If you have a 64-bit Ubuntu:<<>>If you have a 32-bit Ubuntu:<<
