Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!van-bc!ubc-cs!newsserver.sfu.ca!moss
From: moss@newsserver.sfu.ca (Barry G. Moss)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers
Subject: NEC SW2 Model 90 memory expansion
Message-ID: <1991Apr30.181127.15660@newsserver.sfu.ca>
Date: 30 Apr 91 18:11:27 GMT
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Lines: 33


Does any one have information on the 2MB memory expansion board
for NECs Silentwriter2 Model 90 laser printer?  I recently bought
one of these printers for about $2150 CDN and was hoping to
expand the memory so that I could print legal size pages with
complex graphics and download additional fonts. However, when I 
went to the campus computer store where I bought the model 90
I found out that the 2MB memory expansion cost over $1000! 
Considering the original price of the model 90 included 2MB of
memory already, and that even fast DRAMs can be purchased for
less than $100/MB, this price seems to be extremely high.

So here's the questions:

1. Has any acyually pruchased NEC's memory expansion option?
   Is this a special board NEC had made, or is simply a pair of
   SIMMs? Is there anything special about the memory parts used
   to justify the high cost (e.g. all chips are 1MB 35ns SRAMs :-) )?

2. Has anyone seen this expansion board advertised for less than
   $1000 CDN or $850 US?

3. Is there a third party which manufactures a compatible but cheaper
   memory expansion board?

The Model 90 is a very good printer for the money, but I am extremely
disappointed at NEC's overpricing of options for this product. Do other
laser printer manufacturers have similar policies or is NEC the only
one?

Barry Moss
Research Associate
moss@whistler.sfu.ca