pff@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Pablo Fernicola) (08/08/89)
I want to buy a DeskWriter and I noticed that the DeskWriter is about $200.00 more than the DeskJet PLUS. Is it only here? Is the dealer trying to get more money from Mac users than from PC users? or is the DeskWriter really more expensive than the DeskJet PLUS? Also the font collection is about $280.00 and font cartridges are $66.00. I thought this printer did not use font cartridges, anybody knows what they are for (aren't all fonts in software?)? -- pff@beach.cis.ufl.edu Pablo Fernicola - Machine Intelligence Laboratory - UF "That has nothing to do with computers; it is software."
mjkobb@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Michael J Kobb) (08/08/89)
In article <20698@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> pff@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Pablo Fernicola) writes: >I want to buy a DeskWriter and I noticed that the DeskWriter is about >$200.00 more than the DeskJet PLUS. Is it only here? Is the dealer >trying to get more money from Mac users than from PC users? or is >the DeskWriter really more expensive than the DeskJet PLUS? The DeskWriter does actually list for $200 more than the DeskJet Plus. Remember, though, that to use a DJ+ with your Mac, you need an interface package, the cheapest of which is ~$100. Also, if you don't want to be stuck with HP's cartridge fonts, you have to buy downloadable fonts from Bitstream, and their complete package is $395, and only comes in groups of 4(?) families. HP, meanwhile, sells individual families for ~$90, or the group for about $280. Finally, the DeskWriter has a Chooser-Level printer driver, and a fast serial interface that is optimized for the Mac. This combination supports fonts from 7 to 100+ points, upright, or rotated in 90-degree increments, and really decent QuickDraw graphics. All in all, I'd say it's a better deal, unless you have an IBM or something you'd like to use the printer with as well. As for the cartridges you mention, the must be for the DeskJet, since the 'Writer doesn't take cartridges. Or, maybe the dealer misspoke and he meant "individual font family," which would be about right for the price. Hope this helps... --Mike Disclaimer: I'm not even a satisfied customer, I've just played with the thing in the dealership. I won't be a satisfied customer until I save up enough $$ to acutually buy one of these things (which I will).