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i just got a dell printer that is WIFI because my old printer broke. my wife now wants to buy an apple computer or laptop. Would she be able to print from an apple computer to a dell printer?

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3 Answers

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Yes.

Macs have built-in drivers that allow you to print to just about any USB printer.

And if the computer doesn't already have drivers (although, just about every consumer printer does), Dell supplies drivers for Mac.
You may also need to install the custom drivers if you want more advanced functionality (e.g, some brands require you to install their drivers to enable networked print).

You can easily add printers using the the Print & Scan pane of System Preferences: Just click the plus button. enter image description here

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would i be able to use the WIKI capabilities? – leora Jul 30 '11 at 18:13
@ooo What do wiki capabilities have to do with a printer? Maybe we're thinking of different wikis. Do you have a link to a wikipedia article or something about the kind you're interested in? – Nathan Greenstein♦ Jul 30 '11 at 18:21
I think he means wifi. Can you print to this printer without any USB connection existing? – GEdgar Jul 30 '11 at 18:38
@Nathan - yes, i meant WIFI – leora Jul 30 '11 at 18:41
@ooo Ah, I see. Well, I haven't used a Dell printer. But, based on my experience with other brands: You may be able to with Apple's drivers, but it's entirely possible that you'll need Dell's for that. But, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to do it (unless Dell's driver is buggy, which can happen). – Nathan Greenstein♦ Jul 30 '11 at 18:45
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Is it a USB printer? If so, it should work without any hassle, just plug it in and add it under the Print & Fax section of System Preferences.

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would i be able to use the WIFI capabilities? – leora Jul 30 '11 at 18:42
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It depends on the Dell printer model you have bought. I have a Dell Color Laser 1320cn (with wired network) hooked up to my MBP. I ended up using some FujiXerox Docuprint driver to get everything working.

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There's no reason you have to do that. Make sure you get the right drivers from Apple, and Dell if that doesn't work. There's no reason at all you would need drivers for another brand... – Nathan Greenstein♦ Jul 30 '11 at 18:22
@Nathan normally one would be good to go with drivers from Apple and/or Dell but neither of them support my printer. Google "1320c and OSX" and you will see everybody struggling with this combination. So, I still would say "it depends". Do some research to see if the combination is supported by the vendor's drivers (Dell / Apple) or through some extra effort (like I had to). – bouke Jul 30 '11 at 18:30
how old is that printer? It looks like it may be from before when Dell made actual Mac drivers. – Nathan Greenstein♦ Jul 30 '11 at 18:32
@Nathan the printer is some years old. It seems that Dell has released a driver since my previous attempts (some years ago). So the lesson learned is to always check with your vendor if there are drivers available! – bouke Jul 30 '11 at 18:48

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