Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!apple!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-picayune.mit.edu!athena.mit.edu!dcling
From: dcling@athena.mit.edu (Douglas C Ling)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Need recommendation on lowest cost, full featured laser printer
Keywords: HP, Deskjet 500
Message-ID: <1991Apr25.022048.5613@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 25 Apr 91 02:20:48 GMT
References: <1991Apr24.142106.17102@cbnewsh.att.com>
Sender: news@athena.mit.edu (News system)
Distribution: na
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lines: 19

I went through this process of deciding between HP Deskjet and a low cost laser a month ago...
The Deskjet is certainly attractive price-wise; but does HP have to omit a paper tray on their low-cost printers (DJ,IIP)? It may not matter to some, but it does
to me. The DJ is quiet in SPRAYING JETS OF INK (compared to my 24pin impact-banger!), but the noise of the carriage moving back and forth is not insignificant.

But the final deciding point is made by my dog. I had made a test print earlier in the day from a DJ at the local dealer's. The paper was left on the floor. My dog walked by, sat on it, got up, walked away...and voila, the printout was smudged! (Yes, they do have the new NONE-Smudge ink, but...)

I ordered an OKI-400 the very next day fro $639 (best price, from Harmony in NYC, look for their ad in NYTimes, I received itin 4-days! No hassle)

The OKI is very servicable to my needs; don't know about their durability under heavy Desktop Pub usage. My sense is that the Okis, being LED printers w/o the moving mirrors and parts and being quite well made (compared to the other cheap laser printers e.g. Epson/Toshiba base-models), should be able to sustain heavy usage. My friend at HP swears by their printers (IIP holding up to heavy office usage etc.); and if one insists on lasers and holding down cost, I'd go no lower than HP IIP. (Actually, just sa








w an ad in DAK Catalog for a $699 LaserPro 8-ppm
printer; maybe worth a look...)

One more complaint on the DJ: if you anticipate a lot of black-filled graphics, forget it. The ink will make most paper, except some real heavy stock, wrinkle.

There is one displeasure: I don't quite like the resident TimesRoman-like font with the OKI; it's actually Bitstream's Dutch font, I think. Guess I'm just used to the Times on the Postcript printers at work. (I'd soon get ATM to go with the OKI!)

Otherwise, a happy OKI-user!

Doug