Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!ntg!dplatt
From: dplatt@ntg.uucp (Dave Platt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Stylewriter / Deskwriter
Message-ID: <74@goblin.ntg.uucp>
Date: 19 Apr 91 18:07:03 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.173045.3661@tkna.uucp> <66@goblin.ntg.uucp> <12194@dog.ee.lbl.gov>
Reply-To: dplatt@ntg.UUCP (Dave Platt)
Organization: New Technologies Group, Inc.  Palo Alto CA
Lines: 56

In article <12194@dog.ee.lbl.gov> jane@kudu.ee.lbl.gov (Jane Colman) writes:

>I know this has been discussed before on the net, but for those
>of us still trying to make up our minds--why a DeskWriter
>rather than a StyleWriter?  I am not overly concerned about
>either the price difference or the speed difference, and I
>will probably never need AppleTalk, so my major concerns are
>quality, reliability, and ease of use (in a household consisting
>of mechanical idiots).

Well, my impression is that the DeskJet/DeskWriter mechanism is designed
for a somewhat longer useful lifetime than the StyleWriter.  The DeskFoo
isn't designed to be portable (even though it's quite light in weight),
and so its physical design includes some features that I think are quite
useful in a personal printer.  

For example: its paper feed bin, platen, ink station, and paper stacker
are all somewhat enclosed... dust cannot easily settle onto the paper
from above.  In our household, that's significant >grin<.  The
StyleWriter's paper-feed slot exposes the paper supply to dust... if you
don't use the printer for a couple of days, the first sheet to be
printed might end up with some slight blurring due to dust on the
printing surface.

Also, the DeskFoo mechanism has existed for several years now, and
there's been enough time for HP to get a few bugs out of it (they've
changed the pen-priming system a couple of times).  I purchased and read
through the service-technician's manual for this printer, and I was
struck by the elegance of the mechanical design... I think it's a
well-designed piece of "iron".  Any engineering team who puts in a
complete cartridge self-test (the printer can tell you _which_ specific
inkjet resistor isn't drawing the right amount of current to fire),
_and_ includes a "spittoon" in their design, wins my admiration!
("Gentleprinters are requested to use the cuspidors while printing.")

There is another factor involved: cost of the cartridges.  It's possible
to refill the HP cartridges, although HP does not recommend this.  Most
people use Skrip or a similar fountain-pen ink, which works well at a
low cost ($1 or so per full refill) but is water soluble (as was the
original HP ink).  It's possible to buy refill kits from JetFill,
Diablo, and several other companies, which provide a convenient way to
refill the HP cartridges with an ink that's roughly comparable to the
new HP ink formulation (which is much more smear-resistant than the old
ink).  These refill kits seem to cost on the rough order of
$10/refill... sometimes less.

As far as I know, it's not possible to refill the StyleWriter/BubbleJet
cartridges... at least, not without some real mechanical hacking.  I
haven't heard of anyone who has done it successfully.



-- 
Dave Platt                                                VOICE: (415) 813-8917
                    UUCP: ...apple!ntg!dplatt
 USNAIL: New Technologies Group Inc. 2468 Embarcardero Way, Palo Alto CA 94303