Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!ria!uwovax!baer
From: baer@uwovax.uwo.ca
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Opinion sought on HP Deskjet Plus
Message-ID: <4912.25ce0679@uwovax.uwo.ca>
Date: 6 Feb 90 04:04:25 GMT
References: <1990Feb5.225207.6913@wam.umd.edu>
Lines: 56

In article <1990Feb5.225207.6913@wam.umd.edu>, producer@wam.umd.edu (Winthrop D Chan) writes:
> Hi:
> 
> Recently HP introduced a $150 rebate on DeskJet Plus, lowering the street price
> to below $500.  In light of this very attractive pricing, I am thinking about
> settling for the DeskJet, instead of saving enuf to get the LaserJet IIP. I 
> would like to hear from all of you who have used a DeskJet Plus about features 
> that you like or complaints.  In particular, I would like to know more about
> these points:
> 
> 1.	I understand that the ink on the Deskjet "smudges" when it is touched
> 	or when wet.  Has it ever happen to you, if so, is it a major problem?
 Yup. It smudges when you drop water on the paper.  I don't consider this 
a major problem.  If you have access to a photocopier, you can always photocopy
documents and then throw out the original and keep the copy (which won't
smudge).  It depends on how frequently you expect to spill coffee over 
documents (I'm usually in a position where I can simply run off another) or
how frequently you expect to be working with documents out in the rain, I
suppose. 
> 2.	The availability of fonts for it.
   Certainly more limited than many laser printers, but not terrible.  I've
got their Tmm Roman font & it looks great.  Looks better than my department's
laser printer.   One thing, though -- OS/2 users should avoid the soft font
option and go for physical cartridges.   There may be less choice this way,
but the font download program provided by HP only runs under DOS and HP 
has informed me by letter that it has "no plans" to provide a download 
utility which will work under OS/2.  Downloading fonts takes time, and 
I'd love to be able to do it in the background while I do something else
in the foreground.  Rats on both HP  (for not having an OS/2 utility) 
and Microsoft (for the fact that the DOS compatibility box can't run
in the background).  Enough to make one want to go back to DOS/Desqview.
> 3.	Is the slow speed a major aggrevation?  How slow is the graphics mode?
    Well, it *is* slow, but what do you expect for $500?  This was the 
big trade-off I was prepared to make for a $500 printer vs. a cheap laser
which at the time would have set me back $1300 (I'm not sure what the 
IIP's current price is).  I suppose if you want a laser and have the bucks 
for it, buy a laser.  But if you've barely got a bit more than the money
necessary to buy one of the pricier 24-pin printers, and if quality 
overrides speed as one of your concerns, the Deskjet Plus is a good deal. 
> 4.	Expecting the price of the IIP to be even lower when HP introduce the
> 	new generation of LaserJets, would you wait and get the IIP for a 
> 	couple more hundred bucks?
    How much lower and how soon?  Perhaps the cost of buying a Deskjet+ now
plus the cost of buying an IIP in 1 - 1 1/2 years will equal the cost of 
buying an IIP now.   
> Please send email to "lai_wy%ncsd@gte.com", as I am posting here with my 
> friend's account.  I will collect all email and post a summary. Thanks.
   I'm having trouble posting to your account.  Thought other people might
be interested in my comments anyway. 
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas Baer, SSC,
University of Western Ontario, London, Canada N6A 5C2
Internet: BAER@UWO.CA    Bitnet: BAER@UWOVAX
Telephone: [office] (519)-661-3859