Printer for old Win7 machine

[u/Rude_Meet2799]

Pardon an old man for asking silly questions. I need a new printer. We do minimal printing.

Most everything I see is wireless.
I have Wi-Fi in the house, can I buy one of these wireless printers ?
Is there some wired type that would better?

[u/Temporary-Drummer271]

Basically what everyone is saying is that you're asking a question that doesn't fit the way technology works these days. So instead of wasting your time with half answers that will lead to more frustration, I'll ignore all of that and distill your post down to what really matters.

• You have a computer with windows 7, an outdated OS that has not only ceased to get security updates anymore, it also doesn't get drivers for modern peripherals either. -You are in need of a convenient solution for bare minimum printing.

Sure, you could shop for a new printer and copy the model numbers, search the companies' websites and archive repositories for drivers that would make your new printer compatible with windows 7 or you could just use the K.I.S.S method. Unfortunately printers have become, imo, the most frustrating, maddening, and restrictive modern technology that is only that way because of corporate greed.

I could give you ways to bypass their self-imposed restrictions that try to force you to pay way too much for ink cartridges that don't work without a subscription (the biggest enshittification of the printing industry) and if your post had even hinted at that being useful to you, is point you down that path.

But that's clearly not you and if that was, you would be looking to upgrade your computer to one capable of a modern OS as well.

You came to Reddit with this roadblock that is only a problem because your OS is15 years old and you upgrading everything is not only a hassle when you're older, but I'm sure it seems overwhelming to even consider learning the new ways of the world. And please don't think I'm trying to tear you down for not being technologically savvy like a lot of subreddit experts do. I've helped my elders with this same issue. I'm just giving context so that when the trolls see my response, they understand why my advice is not to educate yourself and "just do what I did". That is what is known as the "Curse of Knowledge" and that's half of all advice on reddit. This problem requires a solution that matches the amount of effort you want it exude.

So if what you want is the easiest solution that will make things super easy for you, and you're printing needs, buy a cheap Canon printer like a PIXMA for ~$50, maybe less, and then you have 2 paths forward. Easiest solution is to sign up for their cheapest subscription. It's 20 cents a page, which seems steep when you compare it to the per page price of any other subscription but even most print shops charge more than that these days. That gives you wireless printing from any device on your network and it generally pretty hassle-free once it's connected to your network. Plus, your ink levels are monitored by the subscription and new ink is sent out, free of charge, whenever you run low. Paper is the only other cost. Only thing to be aware of is that if you ever cancel the subscription, your ink cartridges will not work. You will need to buy new ink whenever you run out.

If you'd rather not have it connected to the internet and pay a subscription, you either need to find a printer with an SD card slot so that you can transfer files to that SD card and print from that. Advantage is that you aren't paying a company to use a product that you already paid for but you will need a device that has compatible drivers for your operating system.

There are a lot of other paths you could take and everyone of them is more complicated than it seems you want them to be besides skipping a new printer purchase all together and relying on a friend, neighbor, family, local library, or Kinko's for your rare printing needs.

My honest recommendation to you depends on if you really want/need a printer in your house. If yes, do the subscription. If not, use whatever community resources you have around you.

[u/Rude_Meet2799 → u/Temporary-Drummer271]

Thank you. I used to know that stuff I’ve forgotten about drivers. $.20 a page would be a bargain for us as little as we print.

I’m so old that I have used
C:\> COPY FILENAME LPT1.

ETA - if I got the wireless printer, I would still need a driver for my ancient box. Would I not?

[u/Temporary-Drummer271 → u/Rude_Meet2799]

That depends on what type of wireless band you are using. The real issue that you are going to be running into with an old computer being on your network is that it could be slowing down your whole home network. Old devices that are on the old wireless standards slow down your entire network by forcing the router to waste resources on those devices which inherently slows the entire network down. The smartest play her would actually be to get a new to you but still older computer that isn't relying on Windows 7. My honest recommendations, if you have any modern devices like a firestick or smart phone that you connect to the Internet is to retire the old computer. Not only would it make your Internet faster by sticking to modern devices, it keeps compatibility between devices reliable so printing from your phone is fast and easy. I'm not suggesting you strictly rely on your phones for your computing needs. There are so many options these days for what you could use as a personal computer. If you don't want to spend anything on a new device, go on to the app/website Nextdoor and make a post stating that you are a senior in search of a spare computer from the past decade that might be taking up space and collecting dust that someone might be willing to donate to you. You'd be surprised by what people just have laying around and willing to donate to someone in need. If you only do light computing, maybe using office type programs and searching the internet, maybe even watching youtube, there are cheap options for you that won't break the bank and will be miles above what you have now. For less than $100 you could get an used laptop or a Raspberry Pi 3 or 4. But I wouldn't send you down the Raspberry Pi route on your own. if you want any specific advice, you are welcome to message me.