Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintaka!ogicse!emory!dixie.com!jgd From: jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers Subject: Texas Instruments Microlaser Message-ID: <9275@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> Date: 6 Apr 91 05:11:18 GMT Article-I.D.: rsiatl.9275 Reply-To: jgd@Dixie.Com (John G. DeArmond) Organization: Dixie Communications Services Lines: 84 ehrlich@cs.psu.edu (Dan Ehrlich) writes: >Hello, >I am interested in hearing from people who have used or evaluated the TI >MicroLaser P35 PostScript printer. We've had one here for about 4 months. I am very pleased with it. First the questions. Specifically I am looking for: > 1) How complete is the PostScript implementation? Full. Have not had a single problem to date. > 2) Does it fail with documents produced by some packages? Nope. > 3) Does a minimal configuration have enough RAM memory to print > large documents? Yep. The only instance where the manual notes that the default RAM may be insufficient is when you download many fonts or if you print legal pages. If you use the internal fonts and/or print graphics, you'll have no problems. > 4) What kind of memory does the printer use (standard 1Mb SIMMs > hope :-)? Nope. TI NEVER does anything standard. The memory comes on little expansion boards that have surface mount chips soldered front and back. > 5) Sources for the printer, memory, and supplies. we bought ours at Soft Warehouse here in Atlanta. This is probably the worst computer store I've ever dealt with but the prices are the best. When I bought my printer, I got home with it (a 2 hour drive), I found that they had opened the box, stolen the toner cartridge, and sealed the box back. (This week I bought an SCSI controller there which was bad, as is about 50% of what I buy there. Called for a replacement and had to take a more expensive one because the other one was out of stock. I prepaid with a credit card to make sure the unit was reserved. When my wife got there (4 hours of driving now invested), the bastards had sold the board to someone else! If you buy from Soft Warehouse, force them to open the box, inspect everything and make 'em plug it in and test it.) The nice part is that the TI uses a separate drum, developer cartridge and toner cartridge. Assuming you buy the toner discounted, the operating cost is minimal. The toner kit from TI comes with a toner cartridge, a fuser roller pad and a spent toner tank. There is one real pisser that is vintage TI that you should be aware of. There is a small DIN-style fuse embedded in the side of the spent toner tank. When the printer thinks it's time for new toner, it blows this fuse! This happens at about 3000 sheets. This is designed to force you to replace the toner kit and not use refills. One can pop the fuse out and replace it with one from Radio Shack but it IS a real pisser that they do this sneaky trick. All and all, I like the printer and would buy another on another opportunity. Soft Warehouse sells the minimum printer for about $1400 which is about the cheapest PostScript printer going. If you can possibly find another dealer other than Soft Warehouse, then do so. John >-- >Dan Ehrlich - Sr. Systems Programmer - Penn State Computer Science >/Voice: +1 814 863 1142/FAX: +1 814 865 3176 -- John De Armond, WD4OQC | "Purveyors of speed to the Trade" (tm) Rapid Deployment System, Inc. | Home of the Nidgets (tm) Marietta, Ga | jgd@dixie.com |"Politically InCorrect.. And damn proud of it -- John De Armond, WD4OQC | "Purveyors of speed to the Trade" (tm) Rapid Deployment System, Inc. | Home of the Nidgets (tm) Marietta, Ga | jgd@dixie.com |"Politically InCorrect.. And damn proud of it