kingson@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Kingson Gunawan) (02/28/91)
I am planning to purchase a laser printer and right now I have narrowed down my choice to either TI microlaser PS35 or QMS PS-410. Do any of you have any experience with these laser printers? Which one is a better buy for the money? I am definitely aiming at the best output quality (either text or graphics). How much memory does the printers need to process a full page postscript graphics? How much is the cost for memory upgrade if I need one?Any recommendation on which mail-order company to get either of these printers?
robbins@blackfin.rice.edu (Thomas Robbins) (03/03/91)
In article <1991Feb27.195803.5126@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> kingson@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Kingson Gunawan) writes: >I am planning to purchase a laser printer and right now I have narrowed down my choice to either TI microlaser PS35 or QMS PS-410. > >Do any of you have any experience with these laser printers? Which one is a better buy for the money? I am definitely aiming at the best output quality (either text or graphics). How much memory does the printers need to process a full page postscript >graphics? How much is the cost for memory upgrade if I need one?Any recommendation on which mail-order company to get either of these printers? As a sidenote, does anybody know anything about the TI microlaser PS17 ? It seems to be identical to the PS35, but with less fonts, while listing for (I think) $1499 vs $1899 in the MacLand (I think) ad in the April (I know) issue of MacUser. Are the extra fonts worth $400? -- Tom Robbins | "No, it's 'Blessed are the meek.' I think robbins@owlnet.rice.edu | that's nice, 'cause they really have a hell Senior, Chemical Engineering | of a time." Rice University | - someone in the crowd in "The Life of Brian"
ggiergiel@vmsa.oac.uci.edu (03/03/91)
In article <1991Mar3.045456.24912@rice.edu>, robbins@blackfin.rice.edu (Thomas Robbins) writes... >In article <1991Feb27.195803.5126@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> kingson@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Kingson Gunawan) writes: >>I am planning to purchase a laser printer and right now I have narrowed down my choice to either TI microlaser PS35 or QMS PS-410. >> >>Do any of you have any experience with these laser printers? Which one is a better buy for the money? I am definitely aiming at the best output quality (either text or graphics). How much memory does the printers need to process a full page postscrip >>graphics? How much is the cost for memory upgrade if I need one?Any recommendation on which mail-order company to get either of these printers? > >As a sidenote, does anybody know anything about the TI microlaser PS17 ? It >seems to be identical to the PS35, but with less fonts, while listing for >(I think) $1499 vs $1899 in the MacLand (I think) ad in the April (I know) >issue of MacUser. > >Are the extra fonts worth $400? > I bought one (ps17) for US$1359 from ClubMac, Irvine, CA. Be aware however that both of them come with insufficient memory for any serious work (1.5 Mb). An extra megabyte which should be enough for most purposes can be had for around $105. The memory problem is especially critical with PS17, as the existing memory allows only one downloadable face when used with Apple dictionary. (PS 17 comes only with Times, Helvetica, Helvetica Narrow, Courier and Symbol). The manual is horrible, both typographically and content-wise. Good technical support from TI though. The printer will accept microcartridges with extra fonts, but contrary to their literature none are available with postscript fonts. No upgrade path to PS35. Supports HP emulation if you care for that shit from HP. Very nice physical design and reliable paper handling. Very nice front panel setup arrangement. Inteligently handles manual feeding cycle. The printing engine (identical in both models) looks like any other mass-produced electromechanical part from Japan (it is). The electronics is locally assembled with the look and feel of typical TI electronics (i.e. el cheapo). The printer is decently fast (better than NT) and prints as well as any other 300dpi engine with coverage uniformity much better than Apple printers. Good blacks. Grays very nonlinear. Relatively loud for home use. No periodic drum turning as seen in some Apple printers, but will go in a quiter mode after a period of inactivity. Are extra fonts worth $300 differencial?. Not by very much. For less than $100 you can get all missing fonts (Adobe extra pack for ATM) and downloading isn't much of the problem (its faster than with Apple printers). The engine design is such that one could easily add the toner without buying an overpriced replacement cartrige, but that scheme has been blocked by controller design. The printer will refuse to run when any of the 3 replacement elements reach their design limit. No more trying to squeze as much as can from consumables. (you can defeat that scheme by replacing sensing fuses). Any more questions? Jerzy Giergiel