I need some sort of basic paper document device

[Bombastinator]

So I’ve got an ancient laser printer and an even more ancient flatbed scanner

 

my scanner is so old win8.1 won’t talk to it, and while it would talk to my printer they are currently not on speaking terms and I can’t figure out what the problem is.

 

One option I was looking at is taking an old pi zero I got laying around and trying to turn it into a WiFi print/scan server.  SANE/CUPs.  Multiple days of hair pulling.  One thing that makes it more fun is the pi zero has only one USB port and its type B female.  I kinda don’t want to go there.

 

It was suggested to me today that maybe I should just take both of em in to be recycled and buy an all-in-one with a WiFi connection and just activate the someone-else’s-problem field.

 

Its not the worst idea.  The issue is I know nothing of what is available.  This would be occasional use business garbage.  No color.

download the form, print the form, sign the form, mail the form. (Or scan and email the form)

 

I have a deep enmity for inkjets.  They clog, They get out-of-date,  they dry out, they cost a bazillion dollars to keep in ink.  A simple low Rez b/w laser printer, a simple flatbed scanner, all talking to my WiFi.  This would be nice.

 

reliable, long life, can sit for 6 months and work upon request.  Uses regular paper.

 

Is there such an animal that is also cheap enough that the argument for my “free” (not including stress and time) solution is no longer competitive?

[Derrk]

the beasts you speak of run about $120-150

hp printers are built to break so canon or brother are my suggestion. brother toner is cheap

[Bombastinator]

17 minutes ago, Derrk said:

the beasts you speak of run about $120-150 dollars

hp printers are built to break so canon or brother are my suggestion. brother toner is cheap

Gah.  Someone has clearly seen such as me before and thought about what the maximum was they could charge while still making it not quite worth the effort not to buy.

 

I think I’d be paying myself about $3/hr to get around it.
 

thankyou  

[Derrk]

1 minute ago, Bombastinator said:

Gah.  Someone has clearly seen such as me before and thought about what the maximum was they could charge while still making it not quite worth the effort not to buy.

 

I think I’d be paying myself about $3/hr to get around it.
 

thankyou  

not a problem. when i was a young lad, i was versed in the way of the printer being a tech at staples

[Bombastinator]

Staples is actually what I’ve been doing lately.  I  load my crud onto a thumb drive or leave it on my email and hump it down to staples for some good ol sneakernet