Mac OS X Compatible Printers
Brother
I have owned the Brother HL-1435 since 2001 and it has updated well with Panther, Tiger and Snow Leopard. It is a monochrome laser printer that prints 5,000 pages per toner cartridge. While Brother has discontinued this model, you might be able to find a refurbished one on Amazon. The only bad thing I have to say about this laser printer is that the cartridges run about $60.
The Brother MFC-490CW Color Inkjet Wireless All-in-One Printer prints photos with a maximum resolution of 6000 x 1200 dpi. This printer received a 4-star rating on Amazon.com by 223 people. The printer is not known for its durability. You may have to replace it after one year. Also, you will have to choose between running wireless or wired USB/network connection because the printer cannot handle both at the same time.
Canon
Canon’s PIXMA MP560 InkJet photo all-in-one printer that prints at an astounding resolution of up to 9600 x 2400 dpi. You can print from anywhere around the house or office, as long as you have a computer with Wi-Fi capability. It also prints out in duplex, which is great if I want to print a brochure for a client. Some user have had problems with their printer connection. If this happens to you, go to the Apple website and look for the review of EC from Richmond, who gives a step-by-step tutorial on how to install the necessary drivers.
The PIXMA MX860 Office All-in-One Printer also prints at 9600 x 2400 dpi. The built-in wireless and Ethernet make network printing a flexible option. You can store up to 100 speed-dials and 250 incoming fax pages, thanks to the expanded memory. Customers have reported that the software can take up to 1 hour to install, and then it might not be compatible with Snow Leopard.
Epson
The Epson WorkForce 615 is supposed to print twice as fast as the leading InkJets on the market, while printing at at resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. This all-in-one printer received a 4-star rating on the Apple website. The first complaint that I feel I should mention is that you cannot use the duplex feature on the Mac. You should also know that the fax feature cannot function without a digital hook up. The connection must be made to a wall phone jack.
Lexmark
This Lexmark all-in-one printer allows you to print vivid photos and color graphics from your iPhone, iTouch or anywhere in your office without experiencing dead spots. Sending a document to your email is also an easy task, thanks to the one-touch shortcut of the touch screen.
Overall, users are very happy with this printer, giving it a 4-star rating on the Apple website. One thing that you need to be aware of before buying this printer is that the Wireless N only supports the 2.4GHz band. It will not work with anything higher than that.
Conclusion
In this article, I have listed some of the compatible printers for Mac OS X. This is by no means a complete list. You may not need all of the bells and whistles that the newest printers have to offer. A simple laser printer may be all that you need. For that reason, I will include the link to Apple’s list of compatible printers for Mac OS X so that you can look for older printers that are refurbished.
