[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] HP 500 Deskjet Advice

3040_3744@uwovax.uwo.ca (11/23/90)

	I am advising a friend on printers for a word processing system.  I
have seen the HP Deskjet 500 and think it would fit the bill.  However,
I have only seen it in stores and have no idea about its long-term
behavior.  Does the print quality degrade at all over time?
Also since my friend will be doing technical word processing (Word 5.0 or 
WordPerfect 5.1) how well does the printer support greek characters, how
much will it cost to support greek, and how well do these word processors
support the printer?
	
	Thanks in advance
	Neil

RFM@psuvm.psu.edu (11/23/90)

I'm thinking about buying a HP DeskJet 500 myself. I've talked to the
WordPerfect folks, and they have a printer driver for it (is there
any printer out there they don't support????). What I don't understand
is the font arrangement for it. Courier 10cpi comes built in, and it
comes with a CG Times 12-pt, but I think this is a proportional font.
If it works like CG Times on a HP LJ II, qou can only line up columns of
numbers by tabbing them -- a bummer for me, sometimes.
   Anyway, the DJ500 received an "Editor's Choice" in the PC Mag annual
printer review edition (Nov 13 issue). It comes with a 3-year
warranty. If I buy, I'll probably get a Prestige Elite font cartridge
to go along.

zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou) (11/23/90)

How much is it?  If under $1000 it's worth considering.

wwtaroli@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Bill Taroli) (11/23/90)

In article <7844.274bd854@uwovax.uwo.ca> 3040_3744@uwovax.uwo.ca writes:
>Does the print quality degrade at all over time?

Well, only when you run out of ink. You see, each time you replace the ink
cartridge you're also replacing the print head. Kinda wierd, but that's the
way it works. I've been using my DeskWriter for 4 months now (only had to
change the ink once with moderate level of printing) and have experienced 
absoluttely no problems.

-- 
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* Bill Taroli (WWTAROLI@RODAN.acs.syr.edu)    | "You can and must understand  *
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amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) (11/24/90)

In article <11546@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou)
>How much is it?  If under $1000 it's worth considering.

  I don't bother considering it...   The HP LaserJet IIP with the 'optional'
paper tray & cartridge is under $ 1000.
   As I recall the 500 DeskJet is available much closer to about $ 500.
(For the price difference, I consider the IIp the ONLY choice... in that
price range...)

al


-- 
Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University
 InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu  amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu
 Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE 

jwarren@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (John Warren) (11/24/90)

In article <1990Nov23.221728.16389@rodan.acs.syr.edu> amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:
>In article <11546@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou)
>>How much is it?  If under $1000 it's worth considering.
>
>  I don't bother considering it...   The HP LaserJet IIP with the 'optional'
>paper tray & cartridge is under $ 1000.
>   As I recall the 500 DeskJet is available much closer to about $ 500.
>(For the price difference, I consider the IIp the ONLY choice... in that
>price range...)
>-- 
>Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University
> InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu  amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu
> Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE 

However, with the DeskJet 500 you can print a full page of graphics without
the memory constraints of a LaserJet. I've seen the ouput of the printer and
it is really great! Plus, for those of you familiar with the older DeskJets,
HP has developed a new ink that is not water soluble (eliminating all those
annoying smudges) and it's really BLACK.

-John
 JWARREN@iusilver.ucs.indiana.edu

(I have absolutely no affiliation with HP)

dey@brahms.udel.edu (Noel Dean Dey) (11/24/90)

In article <1990Nov23.221728.16389@rodan.acs.syr.edu> amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:
>In article <11546@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou)
>>How much is it?  If under $1000 it's worth considering.

If you check your universities volume purchase agreements, or whomever 
sells computers on campus, you may find prices UNDER $400 for the 
DJ 500. I couldn't resist it and am thrilled by the quality I get
using my Amiga.

goes@vx.acs.umn.edu (11/25/90)

In article <16114@brahms.udel.edu>, dey@brahms.udel.edu (Noel Dean Dey) writes...
>In article <1990Nov23.221728.16389@rodan.acs.syr.edu> amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) writes:
>>In article <11546@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou)
>>>How much is it?  If under $1000 it's worth considering.
> 
>If you check your universities volume purchase agreements, or whomever 
>sells computers on campus, you may find prices UNDER $400 for the 
>DJ 500. I couldn't resist it and am thrilled by the quality I get
>using my Amiga.

I paid about $350 for mine on university purchase order.  That's a hell of a 
deal.  Sure, you can get a IIP for $1000, plus the cost to upgrade memory 
you can do full page graphics.  I think the DJ500 is a bold move by HP into
the lower-end market, and will make serious inroads into the price range
normally occupied by dot-matrix only.  I'm VERY pleased with it.

BTW, I called Microsoft to get an updated MS Word .PRD file for the
DJ500.  The rep said they didn't have one, and had no plans to support
it. Stupid Answer.  More evidence that Microsoft is abandoning vanilla
DOS products for Windows apps (INMO).
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sichermn@beach.csulb.edu (Jeff Sicherman) (11/25/90)

For the $1000 range price being mentioned in this thread, you can get
a Laserjet II (not III or IIP) at clearance for only a little more money
($1000  to $1100) at many stores and mail-order vendors and get twice
the speed of a IIP and perhaps cheaper upgrades (many cartridges are
now available a clearance prices).

shwake@raysnec.UUCP (Ray Shwake) (11/26/90)

goes@vx.acs.umn.edu writes:

>BTW, I called Microsoft to get an updated MS Word .PRD file for the
>DJ500.  The rep said they didn't have one, and had no plans to support
>it. Stupid Answer.  More evidence that Microsoft is abandoning vanilla
>DOS products for Windows apps (INMO).

	Don't be so impulsive in lambasting a generally responsive company
on the basis of a "stupid answer" offered by one of its representatives.
Given that the DJ 500 is a popular successor to a widely used printer, to
the extent that it requires an alternative .PRD to that used by the Deskjet
to take advantage of its additional functionality, I have no doubt Microsoft
will release one for its DOS products as well as its Windows products.

akm@cs.uoregon.edu (Anant Kartik Mithal) (11/27/90)

In article <11546@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou) writes:
>How much is it?  If under $1000 it's worth considering.

I've seen quotes in PC Week for $496...

kartik



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