On Thu, 2005-08-18 at 22:36 -0700, Craig White wrote: > Suggest that if you intend to buy a printer to use on Linux, you consult > the resources before you buy a printer Actually, given that Windows Vista is around the corner (next year), it's very likely the printer you buy now will not work on it, or will require you to pay for a driver upgrade. In fact, XP 64-bit has that problem right now (dearth of peripheral drivers). It's all about the "Superstore Model." 90% of American consumers believe that if they upgrade any one of their computer, OS, software or peripheral, that if it forces an upgrade of any of the other 3, then they might as well get new for all 4. That's what peripherals now cater too, and that's why the BIOS-less PC and the host-based/software-driven peripheral are almost as Windows version-specific as the OS and applications these days. Again, just an OT rambling. But the investments in Best Buy by Microsoft previously, and the immediate distribution changes that occurred as a result, were not coincidence. And it's not coincidence that most peripheral vendors are more than happy to work with this "superstore model," and even other software vendors have gotten in on it (e.g., AOL investments in Circuit City, etc...). Let the buyer beware, for _any_ OS. ;-> -- Bryan J. Smith b.j.smith at ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The best things in life are NOT free - which is why life is easiest if you save all the bills until you can share them with the perfect woman