0
My Microsoft Surface RT has no driver for my Printer (HP OfficeJet 6500 E 709a). Is there a way to attempt to use an available driver for a similar HP printer?
The question pertains more to whether this can be done at all, rather than whether a driver for another printer would work.
Bill Rodman
Posted 2012-11-07T15:06:29.297
Reputation: 712
2
I very much doubt it.
Like most other inkjet printers, the OJ6500 is a GDI printer (in the specs, HP call it PCL3). GDI printers depend on the Windows graphics engine to convert the page into dots on the page. They are low-cost, but have their drawbacks. One of them is that the driver is usually very specific to both the printer model and OS version. Because of this, it is very unlikely that any other driver will work with your printer.
hdhondt
Posted 2012-11-07T15:06:29.297
Reputation: 3 244
PCL3 printers are not GDI printers. You might be thinking of HP's PPA. http://linuxmanpages.com/man1/gs-pcl3.1.php
– Alan Shutko – 2012-11-08T22:36:21.517@Alan: correct. However for all practical purposes they are: they rely on the PC for imaging, and like GDI printers they tend to be very specific in driver requirements. – hdhondt – 2012-11-09T10:22:10.093
HP does provide a Universal print Driver, but there does not appear to be a Windows 8/ARM (Surface RT, right?) version yet.
– Bob – 2012-11-08T00:30:00.347Yes, I meant Surface RT. I'll edit the question. Thanks Bob. – Bill Rodman – 2012-11-08T22:33:21.840