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From: dmarcher@ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (david m archer)
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: Re: QMS 410 Laser Printer
Message-ID: <9103181602.AA11511@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>
Date: 17 Mar 91 01:20:08 GMT
References: <9103151457.AA04775@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>
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In article <9103151457.AA04775@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU> you write:
>
>QMS customer support is practically non-existant.  I would look at
>another brand with better support.


I don't know about this.  While their tech. support works
on a "you call us, we'll call back in a few hours" basis,
i've at least had calls returned within the same day.  This
is not something that QMS alone does.

However, with this particular printer, the QMS-PS-410, we
have 1, and are extremely unhappy with it.  So far we've
had 4 separate printers, one of which recently had a brain
transplant (firmware revision 8 - fixes a nasty bug that
prevented printing on legal paper using HP LaserJet
emulation.  One of the other printers belongs to another
department; they have no problems, but their usage is very
limited.  Another was the original printer, the 2nd was a
DOA (to replace the original one).  A summary of the
problem we have is that the printer just dies.  Way too
often.  Needs to be turned off & back on again.  Happens in
the middle of a printing job, generally.  Occurs more
frequently when the paper runs out or a job is canceled.
Cannot be instantly duplicated.  Has not happened while
trying to print from the serial/parallel ports, at least
not that I can remember.  It appears to be a mystery to
both ourselves and QMS.  

Unfortunately, I've not been able to test the printer in a
controlled environment (one mac, one printer), as we are
"resource poor", and I can't take the printer & a mac and
go in a corner to figure out what is going on without
disrupting other users.  This is perhaps the only reason
why I don't go around screaming that the PS-410 is a piece
of junk.  Then again, we also "overload" the printer a
great deal, it's not uncommon to have 4 users trying to
print 10 pages each all at once.  It shouldn't cause a
problem, but the QMS PS-410 is only a "personal" printer
with "network" capabilitys.  It's not meant to print 400
pages a day (which is roughly what we average). I'm sure
the printer would work much better in a lower usage
environment.  Then again, it crashed today (saturday)
twice while only two macs were even on, with very limited
printing.

But, all in all, I'd say, perhaps the printer isn't all
that bad, but I still wouldn't buy another one.  And I
really wouldn't buy another QMS printer of any brand.  Call
it a bad experience rather than a bad product.

---
 Note: I do not represent my employer or school, & sometimes not even myself.

  Dave Archer  |  Internet: V116KZND@UBVMS.CC.BUFFALO.EDU      !
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