Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!hpvcla!neff
From: neff@hpvcla.HP.COM (Dave Neff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: DeskJet (a LaserJet in disguise)
Message-ID: <4730023@hpvcla.HP.COM>
Date: 26 Aug 88 19:26:02 GMT
References: <25.230BF78B@rubbs1.FIDONET.ORG>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 53


> The REAL question, for those of us without hands-on-experience with the
> HP deskjet is:
>     Does it produce a full page of 300dpi graphics, when a 'plain' laserjet
>would scream out of memory and spit out a page with approx 1inch of graphics?
>A laserjet is fairly useless for graphics because of this...
>    I don't think the deskjet should do this, as it can control the linefeed
>and wait for more data, and continue printing.... without feeding the same
>sheet through again, and again, and again.

The DeskJet certainly can do a full page of graphics.  The fact that
DeskJet does not store a page of graphics (requiring 1 Meg of RAM)
yet can still do a full page of 300DPI graphics is one reason the
DeskJet is cheaper than a LaserJet.  It is also the fundamental reason
a DeskJet is not 100% LaserJet compatable.  LaserJet drivers that send
out graphics in a serial fashion going down the page work fine with
the DeskJet.  Other LaserJet drivers (esp. desktop publishing) which
randomly sends graphics out on the page will not work.  One common
LaserJet "graphics compaction" trick involves continuously twiddling
the graphics margins.  This trick generally degrades DeskJet performance
since whenever graphics margins change the previous graphics must be
printed.  This can result in printing only a couple of nozzles per pass.
The DeskJet supports 2 different data compaction modes that the LaserJet
does not support so please, DeskJet users, encourage software vendors
to write DeskJet drivers.

I wrote the DeskJet Epson emulation cartridge and landscape cartridge
(I had help) firmware and am working on future inkjet technology printers.
I just started reading this newsgroup so I have not participated in
previous conversations about the DeskJet.  If people have any
questions about the DeskJet drop me a line, I know the printer inside
and out.  You will probably hear more from me in other discussions
about the DeskJet.

One other factor about the DeskJet.  It was designed to be primarily
a text oriented device since that is what most people use their printers
for.  Hence certain tradeoffs were made to improve text performance at
the expense of graphics.  A page of 300DPI graphics typically takes about
5 minutes.  Although this is slower than I would like, I have found
many applications take this long to generate a page of 300DPI graphics
anyway.  I must confess ignorance, however, as to the performance of
the atari ST applications and driver.

As a previous poster mentioned, the DeskJet ink is smears badly if you
get the print wet.  This is in my optinion, the most negative feature of
the DeskJet.  Despite this, I still use DeskJets at work and home 
and find this to not be a real big problem.  Fortunately, waterfast ink is
the #1 priority of our division that makes the ink cartriges.  Much better
ink should be available "soon", but I can't give dates or make promises.

Dave Neff
att!hpfcla!hpvcla!neff
(206) 254-8110 x2358