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From: neff@hp-vcd.HP.COM (Dave Neff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Re: Stylewriter / Deskwriter
Message-ID: <1170029@hp-vcd.HP.COM>
Date: 18 Apr 91 16:39:59 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.173045.3661@tkna.uucp>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 35

>There is absolutly no reason to by the Deskwriter.  (Cost > $600).  What you
>should buy in that case is:
>
>1.  An HP DeskJet 500 (About $475 with the typical discount).
>2.  A copy of JetLink Express from GDT Softworks. (About $85 with cable).

O.K., I'll give a couple of reasons to buy the DeskWriter over the DeskJet
setup you described above:

1.  AppleTalk support.  Maybe you don't care, many people do.

2.  Plug and play.  No special cables, no dip switches to set.

3.  Unless you use a 57K baud to parallel conversion cable, the performace
of the DeskJet 500 will not be as good as the DeskWriter for graphics.
Once you go to scaleable outline fonts with ATM or True Type, everything
is graphics.

Of course the advantage of the DeskJet 500 approach is  you do have a
printer that works with an MS-DOS PC.  Of course many Mac users don't
care about that :-).

As for comparisons with the StyleWriter, the DeskWriter is about twice
as fast and has AppleTalk.  But then again, the StyleWriter is cheaper.

Now if the choice boils down to a StyleWriter vs. a DeskJet 500 with
a special cable and third party driver, of course the DeskJet 500
would be the better choice :-).  Actually my HP "hat" tells me to
say that, but I really don't think this would be a better choice for
the average Mac user since it isn't really plug and play.  It will
be twice as fast as the StyleWriter if you use a 57K baud to parallel
conversion cable and a good driver.

Dave Neff
neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM