Multifunction printer support for Windows server 2003

[Barry Horton]

I need to replace my G55 multifunction printer which has worked well on a Windows 2000 Active Directory Server with 98, NT4.0, XP and other 2000 server client. It has worked well as a networked printer until Windows server 2003 came along.

I notice that nearly all HP mulitifunction printers state that they are XP compliant but they do not talk about Server 2003. I already know that (see G55 above) XP compatible does not mean Server 2003 compatible.

Can HP or anyone else therefore state which of the mulitifunction inkjet printers are Windows Server 2003 compatible. I am particularly interested the D135 but at will consider any that work with Server 2003.

[Jacob Paulus]

I just got done working through quite a few problems with a customer and their D135...I must say that you should definitely avoid Multifunction ink-based printers in a buisiness setting! If you need multifunction go with a laser! If you need color on a small scale, get the cheapest inkjet you can find and be prepared to through it away as soon as the warranty runs out and buy another...if you need high-volume color, step up and buy a color laser printer...

Not that ink-based printers are always bad...but they are unreliable and repairing them isn't fool proof. Laser printers hold up better and cost less per page anyway...maintenance is very straight foward rollers and toner every couple of thousand pages...fuser every 30,000 pages, etc. and when they fail...there are businesses who actually specialize in servicing them...so they are typically repaired on a schedule...that means happy coworkers and very happy executives...

http://hpshopping.com/ has a nice little shopping engine to help you pick a device that meets your needs

[Barry Horton]

Thank you for your reply to my question. I find laser (especially colour) printers still Prohibitively expensive.

I take your point about matching Servers to low-med spec multifunction Ink-Jets but I do currently (almost) have a working solution. I was just hoping to add Server 2003 to my current servers that can print to an Ink-Jet that can offer me multifunction.

In the absence of any word from HP I will have to make do for now.