Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!yale!eagle.wesleyan.edu!flinton From: flinton@eagle.wesleyan.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Re: Diconix Review Message-ID: <26545@eagle.wesleyan.edu> Date: 30 May 90 23:55:45 GMT References: <1921@mindlink.UUCP> <12600@netcom.UUCP> <10328@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <12634@netcom.UUCP> Lines: 37 In article <12634@netcom.UUCP>, ergo@netcom.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) writes: > One way to get better print quality is using paper with a clay coating. > I'm pretty sure that's what "Ink Jet Paper" is. I gather Diconix > stopped pushing special paper when they came out with a new ink that's > absorbed more readily. I've had some trouble finding such paper, but > I haven't checked the really professional stationers yet. I recently bought some Diconix ink cartridges at a good price at a Computerland distress sale, and -- guess what? -- once you unpack 'em they bear the HP logo. What's more, they work perfectly in my HP ThinkJet. My experience with HP ThinkJet, in a nutshell: used ones turn up for under $100.-; there are at least two battery-operated sorts, one with parallel interface, one with HP-IL (current loop) interface -- and three mains-powered sorts (one serial, one parallel, one HP-IB [yes, "eye-bee"]. A tad larger and a tad heavier than Diconix, they have very much the same functionality (fixed left sprocket, slightly adjustable right sprocket set for standard 9-1/2" perf paper, able to accept 8-1/2" paper while perf paper is in place, willing to print "nlq draft" and "emphasized", with or w/o underlining, at standard (80 char/line), narrow (142 char/line), expanded (40 char/line), and narrow expanded (71 char/line) print pitches, etc.). The plainpaper ink cartridge prints darker on any particular paper than does the original ink cartridge, but both work at least reasonably well on both Tandy and HP Inkjet paper, and not at all well on nonabsorbent paper (onion skin, "Corasable (tm) bond", my University's high-quality 100% rag letterhead :-( ). Basically, if the paper surface won't absorb the inklets sprayed on it, they'll easily let themselves get rubbed around and smudge (they dry quite slowly, it seems -- I'm told ethylene glycol is a major ingredient in the ink). ThinkJets list for circa $500; Educalc's catalog quotes them at circa $400, with selected used ones for under $300; ElekTek and 47th Street Photo quote perhaps slightly lower prices; but (see above) one can do better. I've been happy with mine (one serial mainspowered, one HP-IL battery-driven part of a used HP 110 I bought not too long ago). BTW: can anyone out there help me get the HP 110 to send escape sequences either direct to its HP-IL printer port or to a MemoMaker (tm) file? If so, thanks for your help. -- Fred <414-2427@mcimail.com>