Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!mcgill-vision!bloom-beacon!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hpvcfs1!neff From: neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM (Dave Neff) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Opinion sought on HP Deskjet Plus Message-ID: <21990005@hpvcfs1.HP.COM> Date: 6 Feb 90 22:24:24 GMT References: <1990Feb5.225207.6913@wam.umd.edu> Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA Lines: 58 Regarding DeskJet+. I often hear people mention the DeskJet+ is slow relative to a laser printer. Do remember that this is in regards to text printing, where the DeskJet+ is 2 pages per minute (with a tailwind) and laser printers start at 4 pages per minute. However, the DeskJet+ is in general faster than laser printers when printing graphics (about 1 page per minute for the DeskJet+, often 1 page per 2 minutes for laser printers). There are some factors that confuse the issue here, but in general the DeskJet+ is fast in printing 300DPI graphics. The main confusion is the existance of certain software drivers that send graphics to the DeskJet+ in ways that have no effect on laser printers (and in fact may speed up the laser printers) but can greatly slow down the DeskJet+. The main culprit is drivers that try to "data compress" by continually changing graphics margins. When ever graphics margins change the DeskJet+ must print out any graphics at the old margins, and then start storing graphics at the new margins. This results in printing graphics using only several nozzles per pass. If you see an application sending graphics DeskJet+ and the printer is not printing with all of its nozzles (about 1/6 of an inch of graphics per pass), or if the application is not keeping the printer printing all the time, call the software vendor. The DeskJet+ is not slow in graphics -- PC Magazine said it was the faster graphics printer they tested, including all the laserprinters. My personal opinion on the LaserJet IIP vs. DeskJet+ issue is: 1. Are you doing lots of text, especially greater than 50 pages per day. If so, the LaserJet IIP will probably make more sense. 2. Are you primarily printing 300 DPI graphics? If so, the DeskJet+ will likely be faster and more cost effective. Remember, the IIP will require extra RAM to do a page of 300 DPI graphics, adding at least $200 to its cost. 3. Do you do lots of landscape text, and especially want proporitionally spaced landscape characters and mixed text and graphics in landscape mode (i.e. from Excel). The LaserJet IIP is the winner in this category. The landscape mode in the DeskJet+ is a fixed pitch text only landscape mode, suitable for printing spreadsheets, but not much more. 4. Do you need to make transparencies? The DeskJet+ can't do this. Same thing with labels. In general, the DeskJet+ only can do labels and transparencies with the help of a copy machine :-). The waterfastness issue is a negative on the DeskJet+, but I have used the printer a lot, and it is really seldom a real problem. Our official line is "we are working on the problem", and this is definately the case. If you do low volume portrait oriented text, and/or a fair amount of high resolution graphics, the DeskJet+ is a good little printer -- especially with the rebate. Dave Neff neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM Disclaimer: I am speaking for myself. Both the DeskJet+ and the LaserJet IIP are good printers. In either case the money goes to a good cause :-).