Apple and HP Print Drivers--Software Update installs them now--Snow Leopard Warning

[Edhopkins]

Go here for a description of this new update:  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1893

If you have HP drivers/printers you should see the following in the Apple Software Update list:  HP Printer Driver Update v1.1.1

This particular version -- 1.1.1--installs the following:

HP Designjet Z3100ps 44in Photo - PCL3 raster    2.3.1
HP Designjet Z3100ps 44in Photo - PS  4.3.5.153

As far as I can tell these are newer versions of these drivers than you can get from the HP website.  I did a fresh install of the newest on the HP web site this june and the following versions were installed:

postscript:  4.3.3.109
raster:  2.3

The Apple "Software Update" mechanism installed newer versions of both. I have no clue what new features are in either new version--the ps or the raster. They seem to work.

It might be the case that HP only distributes driver updates through the Apple Update mechanism.  (I know that Snow leopard will come with new HP drivers:  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669#HP  

the Snow Leopard Versions are:

HP Designjet Z3100ps 44in Photo - PCL3 raster    3.3
HP Designjet Z3100ps 44in Photo - PS    5.3.0 )
 
current problem:

If anyone else is taking this route for installing Z3100 drivers, I do have a question. My software update went off for "HP Printer Driver Update v1.1.1" AGAIN this morning. Since it is the same update that i previously installed, I am quite reluctant to install it.  I down loaded the package without installing it and looked inside it using Pacifist (package extractor for Mac OS X) and was able to see that the PPD files in this package were the same as the ones installed in my system.  I might have been looking at the wrong files though.)  

Has anyone gotten a similar Update for the same "HP Printer Driver Update v1.1.1"?  Have you installed it? Have the version on your print drivers changed?

And do let me know if I am entirely confused here...

Ed
Baltimore

[garyfcampbell]

Hi,

I don't know about the latest HP PS printer versions, I don't have a PS Z series printer.

I have noticed that the Apple Software Update for both Leopard and Snow Leopard always tries to update the HP Printer Drivers, over and over.  I have called HP and they think it is a bug in the Apple Software Update.  

I have stopped accepting new updates for the same HP Driver version.  

cheers,
Gary

[neil snape]

Just select the update listed and choose ignore update. Then it will be hidden until cleared in the Apple Software Updates.


I had problems previously when installing the Apple drivers over the HP site downloaded ones. I won't risk that again, now I only update from the HP site.

[Edhopkins]

I had problems previously when installing the Apple drivers over the HP site downloaded ones. I won't risk that again, now I only update from the HP site.

Neli

But what do you do with the fact that the drivers from Apple are later versions than the ones on the HP site?

And, as far as I can tell from the Snow Leopard discussions and from looking at the HP site two days ago, the only way to get the HP Z3100 drivers that work with Snow Leopard are via the Apple Update process.

What am I missing?--and I do assume I am missing something.

ed

[neil snape]

Neli

But what do you do with the fact that the drivers from Apple are later versions than the ones on the HP site?

And, as far as I can tell from the Snow Leopard discussions and from looking at the HP site two days ago, the only way to get the HP Z3100 drivers that work with Snow Leopard are via the Apple Update process.

What am I missing?--and I do assume I am missing something.

ed

HP's timing then must be off. Since it is HP that write their drivers , they obviously wrote the Snow Leopard ones too.  
If so and you've installed Snow, then yes you're obliged. It shouldn't be long before the drivers are posted on the HP site , so those who can wait.....

[Edhopkins]

HP's timing then must be off. Since it is HP that write their drivers , they obviously wrote the Snow Leopard ones too.  
If so and you've installed Snow, then yes you're obliged. It shouldn't be long before the drivers are posted on the HP site , so those who can wait.....

Neil

Thanks. I am not in a hurry to install Snow Leopard.  I will take your advice and wait until the Snow drivers are available on the HP web site--with the other Snow stuff.

I still have trouble believing--to be frank--that the HP print utility and the APS are bundled together--as someone posted... I will look on the HP site for that as well.

ed

[tonywong]

Neil

Thanks. I am not in a hurry to install Snow Leopard.  I will take your advice and wait until the Snow drivers are available on the HP web site--with the other Snow stuff.

I still have trouble believing--to be frank--that the HP print utility and the APS are bundled together--as someone posted... I will look on the HP site for that as well.

ed

I installed snow leopard on my non production iMac and added the z3100 as a printer. No APS software included as far as I can tell.

[Colorwave]

What an odd thing (well, for any company but HP, I suppose), that Apple has the new drivers on their site but HP doesn't.  I'm still waiting to jump on the 10.6 bandwagon until a little more dust has settled, but am eager to hear more from those with APS about its functionality, as I certainly don't want to give that up, and also about the issue someone reported with slightly darker printing after the upgrade.

[neil snape]

Actually this has always been the same on MAc and PC. The bleeding edge users pave the way. Getting certification from Microsoft is no less three weeks from delivery. For each and every bug fix another dot version is certified.

Apple is better in this regard but don't expect miracles. What drivers are included at the root level are not fully tested versions, hence the fact the device maekrs site usually have better drivers hors the normal circuit of certification.

Your milage will vary>