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From: neff@hp-vcd.HP.COM (Dave Neff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: bubble-jet
Message-ID: <1170019@hp-vcd.HP.COM>
Date: 4 Mar 91 18:36:21 GMT
References: <91051.161815GHGAQZY@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 64


>I don't know about Apple's specifically.  I seem to recall Apple was 
>going to be working with Cannon on it.  As a proud owner of a Cannon
>BJ-10e Bubblejet printer, I can recommend the technology.  It's very
>nice print, much better than the HP output I've seen, and surprisingly,
>much faster too.  It's really like a little, portable laser printer.
>Apple's implementation, of course, may be somewhat different.

I beg to differ.  Output quality between the BJ-10e and the DeskWriter
are very comparable.  One review I read said the BJ-10e had worse output
than the DeskJet.  Our analysis (under a microscope even) shows print
quality is really quite comparable.  Remember, both printers will have
print quality that varies with paper type.  A paper type that gives
great print on a DeskJet/DeskWriter could give poorer print on a
BJ-10e, and conversely a paper with great output on the BJ-10e might
look worse with the same paper on a DeskJet/DeskWriter.  This
clearly confuses print quality comparisons.

As for speed, I don't see how anyone could say the BJ-10e is faster 
than the DeskJet 500 or the DeskWriter.  Maybe its faster than the
DeskJet classic -- but that printer is obsolete.  From what I have
read, the BJ-10E is 50% to 100% slower than the DeskJet 500 (but it
does cost a bit less).  The DeskJet 500 is VERY fast for graphics.
One review even said the DeskJet 500 was faster for graphics than
any (non-PostScript) laser printer they reviewed.  The DeskWriter
is just as fast for graphics as the DeskJet 500.  Speed comparisons
are confusing.  For DOS printers, both text speed and graphics speed
need to be compared.  But for Mac printers, graphics speed and driver
speed are the main issues when scaleable outline fonts are used (io
speed is another possible factor but usually isn't the limiting factor).

From what I have heard about the new "StyleWriter" (Apple's name),
its advantages over the DeskWriter are:

1) It is cheaper (probably about $150 street price cheaper).

2) It comes with True Type fonts for pre-system 7 systems.  The DeskWriter
uses its own font scaling technology.

3) It is a smaller printer.

The advantages of the DeskWriter are:

1) It also supports AppleTalk.  From the rumors I have heard the
StyleWriter is a serial only printer.

2) I would expect the StyleWriter to be slower than the DeskWriter by
the above 50% to 100% -- but on low end Macs, the performance limit
is likely to be the driver on the Mac for both printers.  On faster
Macs I would expect the StyleWriter to be slower.  I am just speculating
here, of course, based on knowledge of the BJ-10E.  Maybe some things
have been done to speed it up.  Also, maybe the True Type fonts are
faster to scale than HP's fonts, so the driver might be faster.
Someone needs to do real comparisons between printers taking into
account the various Mac platforms and memory configurations.

Print quality, consumable cost,  and waterfastness of ink is comparable
between the two printers from what I have heard.  Some other factors
to take into account are paper handling (manual paper feed, how many
sheets can be held in the tray, envelope feed) and reliability, but I
don't know how these factors will compare between the two printers.

Dave Neff
neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM