Life in Computer Hell

[-Stingray]

As long as your iMac has built in Apple wi-FI, you simply need a printer that supports AirPrint. Most printers today do.

Just check the outside of the printer box. If it says “AirPrint compatible” you should be able to get it to work.

Also try to get that iMac upgraded to OSX 10.14 or so. Do you know what version it’s running now?

 

[PolkaHero]

I've had my Brother monochrome laser printer for years now, gets used just about every day as I sell a lot of items on Ebay. At one point it was ruffling the papers when printing but it's been perfect for the last 6 months or so. One of the best investments I ever made, I only have to change the toner about once a year.

 

[Code Brown]

I doubt this applies to OP since he's a Mac guy, and I don't want to hijack the thread, but since we're talking about new computers I'll throw it out as a public service announcement...

Recently, mini PCs have become available for about $200. They usually come with Windows 11. They're powerful enough for general use (web browsing, email, movies, YouTube videos, Photoshop, spreadsheets, word processing, media server, and even some older games). They may not be up for heavy audio recording / editing, but I don't know. I just got one for my dad and spent some time getting it setup for him. I've been really impressed. It's snappy, almost silent and fits in the palm of your hand. Of course, they're not for everyone, but if you need a cheap, basic computer I'd recommend checking them out. Look into a Blackview MP80, Beelink EQ12, or Morefine M8S.

 

[Mike N]

 

[Standalone]

When I first got into computing in the 1980’s, an eight year old computer was a radically, radically different and (in some ways) unrecognizeable machine.
The 2010’s were some very reasonable years for everyday computing hardware turnover by comparison.

I’ve made my Windows 7 home studio tower last quite some time!!!

The higher bit rate needs as I get files Dropbox’s to me that are sure to come will force an expensive changeover, but I’ve had a good long run from 2008-2023 with only two DAW’s. Cubase LE on an XP laptop and then tower, and Cubase LE and then 8.5 on my cheap $350 Office Max Win 7 tower.

I doubt I’ll see the like again.

 

[PolkaHero]

So I just got a 2 TB SSD drive installed in my 10 year old ASUS desktop. My god, it's like having a new computer! Night and day difference! Should have had this done years ago!

 

[KohanMike]

I've been a Mac user since 1986. I also find that Brother and Canon work best with Macs. I tried one of those Epson EcoTank printers, it was one of the most stupid paper tray operations I've ever encountered, will never touch an Epson again.

 

[hbarcat]

For a peripheral manufacturer, issuing a new driver instead of telling you to buy a new printer is exceptional to the point that Brother gets rave reviews in techie circles. They also provide reliable Linux support. My family's old Brother laser printer has lasted for ages.

I've got an old Brother B&W laser printer and it's awesome. I run it on a PC with Win XP. I use that computer when I need to print lots of documents. I also use it to scan 35mm film because my old Plustek scanner won't work with later Windows versions.

It has Nuendo 2 on it and an ADAT sound card. I still use it for multulitrack recording, mixing, and mastering if I don't need to do a lot of heavy processing.

Please don't make fun of me, but I occasionally fire up my Win 98SE PC and play Quake, Jedi Knight, and some other games that use 3Dfx.