laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/02/85)
From: jp%a@LANL.arpa (James Potter) I have been contemplating upgrading my LaserJet to the LaserJetPlus but the local HP people don't know it the thing will do vector graphics. From the lack of information in their literature and extrapolating from their LaserJet, I would guess that the bit map must be down loaded completely. They do offer an optional parallel interface with the new model. Does any one know any details about the LaserJetPlus?? Jim Potter jp@lanl.arpa
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/03/85)
From: starkweather.pa@Xerox.arpa I have an early LaserJet. According to a quick phone converation with HP, the new LaserJet (+) has more user memory. The new unit comes with 512K bytes of which 384K is usable. The old unit had 59k Bytes of user memory. The only major change is therefore more user bit map area in the machine. The is some additional font capability but no high level processing etc. as it was described to me. The 128K between 512 and 384 is for fonts as I understand. Gary Starkweather
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/05/85)
From: phr@ucbernie.Berkeley.EDU (Paul Rubin) Pardon me for asking, but are the people at HP complete idiots? They upgraded the amount of user memory from 59k to 512k, because there wasn't enough for a decent sized bitmap before. But had they put in 1M, then it would be possible to print a full page bitmap. At least it has downloadable fonts now. If anyone knows whether it should be possible to support TeX on it in a reasonable way, I'd like to hear about it. P.S. Does anyone know the price of the new printer, and that of the upgrade if one is available? The additional memory chips cost HP maybe $50.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/05/85)
From: starkweather.pa@Xerox.arpa You can upgrade an old LaserJet to a new one viz. 59KB to 512KB for ~$1500. Gary
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/05/85)
From: jp%a@LANL.arpa (James Potter) Yes, the old printer has dropped to $3000 and the new on is $3999. I personally think that they blew it. I am going to try to pursue my plans to make a smart graphics adapter that intercepts the serial data, builds a 1MB bit map and OR's in the graphics bits with the normal stuff. I bet I can make such a gizmo to sell for less than $1K. We'll see. Jim Potter jp@lanl.arpa
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/05/85)
From: cornell!vax135!houxm!link!piggy!twitch!tjt@uw-beaver.arpa
I contacted the local HP sales office about the LaserJet Plus upgrade,
and the person I talked to said that it consisted entirely (and only)
of memory, expanding the memory in the machine to 512K, with no change
in the command set of the machine. He said you could then do full-page
graphics at 150 dots per inch, and a half-page of 300 dots per inch.
I'm slightly annoyed that they limited the upgrade so it couldn't produce
full-page 300 dpi. It's not like the memory would cost that much.
At $1500 for the upgrade, they're making quite a profit.
...Tim Thompson...AT&T Bell Labs/Holmdel/NJ...ihnp4!twitch!tjt...laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/08/85)
From: ihnp4!utzoo!henry@uw-beaver.arpa The LaserJet Plus is probably the old LaserJet hardware with re-done firmware and with the 64Kb RAM chips replaced by 256Kb chips, giving four times the memory. > ... The only major change is therefore more user bit map area in the > machine. There is some additional font capability ... There is at least one other major change: downloadable fonts. It also appears, from the price list I have, that HP is making the bitmaps for its current fonts available. More when I know more. Oh yes, there *is* a field upgrade for existing LaserJets. Installation is supposed to be fairly simple, although with the usual caveat that if you do it yourself and foul something up, neither your warranty nor your service contract covers it. Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/08/85)
From: ihnp4!ulysses!gamma!pyuxww!pyuxv!rruxa!rruxo!rruxu!rruxc!rruxr!rruxp!rruxff!tony@uw-beaver.arpa
I talked to the local HP rep and he claims that upgrading pass 512k
breaks the power supply. if we refuse to buy this half-assed upgrade
maybe their marketing types will check with users who understands
the proposed specs first (i know, fat chance...)
tony kwong inhp4!bellcore!rruxff!tonylaser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/08/85)
From: ihnp4!utzoo!henry@uw-beaver.arpa > Pardon me for asking, but are the people at HP complete idiots? > They upgraded the amount of user memory from 59k to 512k, because > there wasn't enough for a decent sized bitmap before. But had > they put in 1M, then it would be possible to print a full page > bitmap... The probable reason for the specific numbers is that 512KB is what you get if you upgrade a 128KB machine (which is what the LaserJet is) from 64Kb chips to 256Kb chips. Changing the number of chips present is a significantly more complex and more expensive operation. (Personally I think it should have been done; I understand their reasons but don't agree with the final result.) The LJ+ is a much better machine for text than the LJ, because of the font downloading, but it's still not a graphics engine. Note that this is a legitimate decision, not necessarily a sign of idiocy. A wrong decision, yes, but not incomprehensible. What fraction of text-based applications need a full-page bit map? Few. What fraction of the potential customers really must have graphics? Maybe not all that large a fraction, if the intended customers are the people who are after cheap typesetting rather than heavy graphics. At LaserJet prices, it is not all that ridiculous to buy it as a text-only machine. I think HP is limiting their market unnecessarily, but maybe they feel that the extra market is not large enough to justify the cost. > P.S. Does anyone know the price of the new printer, and that of the > upgrade if one is available? The additional memory chips cost HP > maybe $50. The change of memory chips unfortunately has to be done as a board swap, as is usual with such things. The chips are not socketed, sensible for a volume-production consumer machine, and desoldering is not something that you trust Joe User to do right. This runs the price up a lot, especially since the old board has little commercial value (it is secondhand and thus cannot be used in something sold to another customer as "new"). What is irritating is the substantial price difference between the LJ and LJ+ when bought new, which can't be much more than a marketing ploy. Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/09/85)
From: phr@ucbernie.Berkeley.EDU (Paul Rubin) "...Changing the number of chips present is a significantly more complex and expensive operation..." Given that they're doing the upgrade as a board swap and charging the obscene difference that they are between a new LJ and LJ+, the incremental trouble of going to 1M doesn't sound like all that much. That they limited their market by crippling the machine while not saving a significant amount of money in the process is surely a sign of idiocy. I would think that all serious TeX users would want to be able to load full page bitmaps, in order to be able to use an unlimited number of different fonts on a page if necessary. It is standard practice to install reconditioned boards in machines sent in for repair.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (10/11/85)
From: ihnp4!utzoo!henry@uw-beaver.arpa > Given that they're doing the upgrade as a board swap and charging the > obscene difference that they are between a new LJ and LJ+, the incremental > trouble of going to 1M doesn't sound like all that much. Actually, I agree, unless they ran out of room on the board or something like that. (The cost function for electronics jumps sharply at board boundaries.) I hoped for better from HP. > ... they limited their market by crippling the machine ... > I would think that all serious TeX users would want to be able to load > full page bitmaps, in order to be able to use an unlimited number of > different fonts on a page if necessary. *FLAME ON* TeX users are well-known for having no taste or sense of graphic design; the only people worse in this respect are MacWrite users. The *need* (as opposed to desire) for vast numbers of fonts on a single page is very rare. Remember that many phototypesetters do not support such eye-rot either. *FLAME OFF* For the vast majority of applications, the LJ+ is probably good enough. I decline to defend HP's decision as right, since I don't think it was, but it's a nuisance rather than a disaster. > It is standard practice to install reconditioned boards in machines sent > in for repair. If HP has done its job properly -- and our experience with LaserJets does suggest this -- then this will be a very small market for old boards. The electronics just do not fail that often. Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry