jeff@ge1ccj.Quotron.com (jeff marder) (12/15/90)
what is the best deal on a letter quality, near-laser quality
printer. Please post make, model, and cost.
We need something better than an Imagewriter, but without the expense
of a laser.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Jeff Marder 213-302-4316 jeff@ge1ccj.quotron.com
Quotron Systems ..!{usc!hacgate | uunet}!janus!ge1ccj!jeff
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////paulr@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Paul Raulerson) (12/25/90)
what is the best deal on a letter quality, near-laser quality
printer. Please post make, model, and cost.
We need something better than an Imagewriter, but without the expense
of a laser.
===== End Include ===
Check out the DeskWriters from HP. They are currently available for around
$650-$700. They include Appletalk interfaces as well as serial, and a darn
good RIP. You can use the HP supplied fonts (okay...) or you can use ATM with
any POstScript font you want (Type-1 or Type-3). The output will be
excellent, and at 300dpi.
Two caveats: The paper you use will greatly influence your output quality.
Cheap paper will allow the ink to run on the paper, and makes for fuzzy
characters.
Intense graphics will often let the paper come out sopping wet. An annoyance,
but quite livable with for the price.
If that price is *still* above your budget, check out deals on old DeskJets,
DeskJet Plus's, or DeskJet 500's. You will need a program like MacPrint or
GDT's JetLink Express to run it, but the output will be very good. The DJ500
in particular, uses the same RIP algorithm as the DesWrtier (well, not quite,
but close! :-) and produces excellent output.
All in all, you can't go wrong wi an HP printer. If you have a little more
budget play, an HP IIp is commonly available for $900, and RAM expansion cards
are pretty cheap. Either macPrint or JetLink express will drive the HP IIp
nicely. With any non-postscript printer, it is worth your money to invest in
a copy of ATM. Vastly improves output. (Note: The HP IIp's are also easily
upgraded to PostScript for a few hundred dollars.)
-Paul
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INET: paulr@pnet51.orb.mn.orggeoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen) (01/05/91)
paulr@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Paul Raulerson) writes: >Check out the DeskWriters from HP. They are currently available for around >$650-$700. They include Appletalk interfaces as well as serial, and a darn >good RIP. You can use the HP supplied fonts (okay...) or you can use ATM with >any POstScript font you want (Type-1 or Type-3). The output will be >excellent, and at 300dpi. ATM only works with Type 1 fonts. But other than that, I agree with the recommendation. The DeskWriter is a great buy (just hooked mine up last night). -- Geoff Allen \ Usenet is distributed network anarchy at its best--- uunet!pmafire!geoff \ or worst, depending on what is posted on any geoff@pmafire.inel.gov \ particular day. --David Fiedler in _Byte_