Archived from groups: comp.periphs.printers (
More info?)
In article <slrnd3mt37.31jr.wblock@speedy.wonkity.com>,
Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> wrote:
>Johannes Zalned <hre346df5te@yahoo.de> wrote:
>
>> I was thinking about a service contract but I think in my project it's
>> not that important: I want to print A4-Books with each 100 pages and
>> if the printer does not work I just can go to a near copy shop for a
>> few days.
>
>My experience is that service contracts would be a waste of money on HP
>business-class laser printers. The variety of heavily-used printers
>I've used lately just do not break. The pads wear, and the fusers need
>to be replaced at a 100,000 to 200,000-page interval, but that's easy
>and relatively cheap.
>
>There was one LJ 4050 that broke, though: dropped from four feet in the
>air onto a concrete floor. Upside down.
>
>It looked like a total loss, with a lot of broken plastic on the top and
>sides, and the display pushed in. Just for fun, we tried it. It still
>printed. Replacement of the plastic case parts and display was
>something like $150, and it still works great.
>
>> What I am searching for is a solution that's not that
>> pricey. I have found more options:
>>
>> 1. Lexmark Optra S 1650 with 2.000 Paper Input and 2.200 Paper Output
>> capacity, 36 MB and Postscript, 16ppm simplex duplex maybe 8ppm,
>> Parallel port only for 360 $
>
>Older Lexmark stuff was supposed to be good, although a few models had
>problems with PostScript or buffer RAM. Newer stuff...just gives me a
>bad feeling.
>
>> 2. HP Laserjet 5Si with 3.000 Paper Input and 2.300 Paper Output
>> capacity, 16 MB, simplex 24 ppm duplex maybe 12 ppm, Parallel port
>> only for 700$
>
>The 5Si is a tough printer. Usually does not have PostScript. I'd
>think you could get one cheaper than that, though.
>
>> 3. HP Laserjet 4350 (new) with 1000 Paper Input and 500 Paper Output
>> capacity and amazing simplex 50 ppm duplex maybe 40 ppm for around
>> 1600$
>
>A good and very fast printer, but duplex speed is probably not that
>fast.
>
>> What about speed in duplex mode, I heard that the speed differs much
>> from the simplex speed?
>
>It would be unusual for duplex speed to be more than half that of
>simplex speed. Simplex will go as fast as the printer can go. Duplex
>will too, but there will be some overhead time as the paper is flipped.
>So expect duplex to be a little less than half as fast as simplex.
>
>> And are the first two printers today that robust that they can handle
>> around 2000 pages without interfering from me?
>
>Don't know about the Lexmark, but if the 5Si wouldn't handle that, there
>is something wrong with it.
>
>> What about parallel port? Is the printer faster if I will add a
>> network card to it or is the parallel port enough?
>
>The 4350 comes with Ethernet, the 5Si is MIO--I think--so it would be
>cheap to add. The 4350 Ethernet should be at least as fast as parallel,
>the older MIO might be slower.
>
>If you want speed, check what you are sending. Big bitmap images are
>slow for everything. Small, efficient PostScript files (not
>driver-generated!) and PCL are the fastest.
>
>> Laserjet 4350 is extremly expensive in relation to the other used
>> solutions but maybe I do not need a paper tray if the printer is so
>> fast, I can just sit next to my printer.
>
>For even more money, you can get a 500-sheet stacker or stapler-stacker
>for the 4350.
>
>--
>Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
I disagree about having some service agreement on a printer if it's
important to your business, unless you have a resident techie.
As for print speed optimization. Years ago I replaced a business's
1200LPM impact printer and warehouse full of cases of preprinted
multipart forms with a pair of 5Si printers. There were two parts to
this hack that made it a huge financial win;
I found a software package that let us take the form design and
"compile" it and load it into the printer before each print job and it
was "flashed" onto each page. The only data we were sending,
per-page, was a couple hundred digits of data. Almost zero HPCL
overhead. The result was a complex graphic invoice form that printed
at the mechanical speed limit of the printer.
The other part was elimination 3-part forms. The user was sending one
to a customer, one put in binders, on-site for a few months, and one
sent to a warehouse for off-site contingency. We put the invoice data
on his server gave him a simple application that let his customer
service people reprint any invoice on demand and the data has backed
up offsite with everything else.
He paid for the HP printers, and my time in the third month, not even
counting the clerical time to seperate all those 3-part pages each
month.
That was a fun project.
--
a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m
Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.
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