Phaser 6500 no longer supported on Mac - Forced Obsolescence

[surf rescue]

Installing the latest out of date MAC 10.15 driver, while the install won't work properly it will install the correct CUPS driver for printer features like paper trays, finishing staple output tray and graphics features.

the trick is to install it anyway. Then as you mentioned in a later post run the MAC printer setup for IP printing.

this video for a Cannon printer gives a great overview of how to hack a solution together when a printer vendor has not released up to date drivers for printers. 
I know it's not an ideal solution, and far from perfect, but at least it works!

anyome trying to get an older MAC driver working with a new MAC OS xerox has not released a driver for this is worth a go. Watch the link in the YouTube video

https://youtu.be/1B1XQ1nI8k4

[surf rescue]

https://youtu.be/1B1XQ1nI8k4

Thank you for sharing that IP printing got it working for you. 
I have had situations like this befor where the older Xerox MAC drivers won't install and set up a printer properly on a newer MAC OS. But the older driver contains the files that have the feature set of the printer such as input trays, finishing like staples/output tray. Graphics options.

using IP printing after (unsucessfully) installing the older xerox driver populates the MAC OS with the make and model of the Xerox printer in question. 

it's likely that because you did install the older 10.15 catolina driver it installed the part of the driver with the correct driver options. This then allows it to be found installing IP printing when searching by make and model.

I found this cool video that goes step by step, even though it is a Cannon, the same principle applies to most printer manufacturers.

https://youtu.be/1B1XQ1nI8k4

im sorry for your frustration, I'm glad you got it working with preserving.

from 30 years in printing support, what I can tell you is that Apple make major changes to its OS much more frequently than Microsoft. In many ways that's GOOD! But unfortunately, when updates like OS support for the M4 chip happen. Quiet offten it makes big changes in the print setups.

The dirty truth is that even now with MAC as popular as it is, there is a real,shortage of talented programmers to keep up with frequent MAC OS releases. The NEW printer and devices a manufacturer is still selling do get put at the front of the line for driver development inside the companies driver team.

I know in theory if Xerox hired more MAC developers, and offered higher pay, driver development for there older legacy products would be swifter.

Take a look at Xerox XRX 25 year stock price to see why they can't do that.

[clockworkp]

Hello: thanks for your effort but your reply shows no competence in the subject matter: a little investigation on your side would have shown that the most recent version is still the one for MacOs Catalina, 4 years old, and i personally believe that blaming other companies "intricacies" is not what I would call optimal customer support, also because playing by that line I might quote other printer manufacturers who seem not have any issue dealing with those "intricacies" and keep their drivers updated. 

For everybody's information, no, the driver for Catalina does not work with any OS above that (hence my post here).

By the way, I found a solution it so I'll leave it her for all the others out there that may have the same issue: I found that latest MacOs Version I have installed, Ventura, can add the printer by looking for it on the ethernet and seems able to retrieve all its details from the printer itself. Could not test with prior MacOs Versions.

[JudySolo-Xerox]

Hi There, as of now, Xerox has updated it's drivers to include the MAC OS Venutura. It typically takes a while before print drivers are avaialbe for the newest Mac OS's due to the intricacises of the Apple updates. You can try downloading the most the version prior to Ventura and see if that provides the entire array of Xerox print settings. If that doesn't work, reach out to our service team at 1-800-821-2797 or 1-800-835-6100.

[clockworkp]

Fyi, Catalina is an os from 2019. Three more operating systems have come after that, especially crucial and needed for the new generation of M-chip equipped macs. None of them is supported. So officially support for mac for this printed stopped 4 years ago.

[surf rescue]

Not sure where you got the info that it's not supported? Xerox support site has mac driver installers up to and including OS 10.15 Catolina.

https://www.support.xerox.com/en-us/product/phaser-6500/content/146701

[clockworkp]

Is anyone aware of alternative drivers to fully control a 6500 on a Mac? since ages the printer is no longer supported and generic poscript driver on mac os does not have full access to all printer setings (for example printing only in black and white). Currently running Mac Os Ventura.

It would be sad to have to throw away a perfectly working printer, not to mention enviromentally despicable, given its size and contents, and I would definitelly not buy a new one from a company that forces me to do enviromentally awful things.

thanks in advance