pfr654@csc.anu.oz (05/16/89)
Having seen lots of news recently about the DeskJet, I thought that I would test it out for myself at the local (Canberra, Australia) Computerland store. I dont't believe the claims that the DeskJet takes 7 minutes per page. Anyway, read on for a short review, based on a short test, using MSWord 3.02 and MacDraw. _________________________________________________ Important news for would-be Laser Printer buyers! ------------------------------------------------- The Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Printer, at about $A1500 from Computerland (prices of $US520 have been quoted in the news COMP.SYS.MAC, and I have seen $US698 in US Macworld - Feb '89), is compatible with the Mac, using the Grappler LS interface cable and software. THIS Grappler is just a db-25 to din-8 cable (at least that's what it looked like), without any chips or hardware, which the other Grappler versions have. It costs about $A200, or $US92 mail-order. The Grappler software translates ImageWriter LQ code into DeskJet info. The DeskJet is a 300 DPI inkjet printer, only released about 2 years ago. It's speed (using a 5 Meg Mac IIx) was about the equivalent of the ImageWriter II in medium quality. It is QUIET! It is extremely light (i.e. less than weight of a large telephone book) and it it only uses normal sized paper (i.e. not printer paper). It is supposed to be able to print on envelopes also, but I did not test this. Apparently it prints better on a special HP paper, but it was fine with normal photocopier paper. I don't believe that the speed depends on the memory of the Mac, but more on the sizes of the fonts being used. The printer requires fonts of FOUR TIMES the size to do its best (i.e. if you wish to print Times 12 point, you would like to have Times 48 point in your system file). As regards graphics: no problems, as long as they are not postscript graphics. The blacks are in fact more consistent than our department's LaserWriter Plus, and the shadings of grey (in MacDraw) are more different. The Grappler LS comes with some fonts which are the equivalent of Times, Helvetica and Courier, in sizes from 9 to 72 point. It is not necessary, however, to use these fonts, as others will work just as well - as long as you have the four-times-size font. This philosophy is just like what is used in the ImageWriter LQ and also in the LaserWriter IISC (I think). This printer sounds like the perfect alternative to the IW II or IW LQ. It is lighter, quieter, cheaper, and produces output that is very very close to LaserWriter output. I think I'll get one! But don't take my advice, go out and check it out at a dealer - with your own test file and fonts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Ryan ANU Dept of Physics and Theoretical Physics phone (062) 49 4678 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned. I wouls just like to see other people try the thing out as well, since there hass been zero mention of it in Mac Mags, other than the ad by Keyway (Aus. Distributors of the Grappler) in February Aus Macworld. -------------------------------------------------------------------------