× The internal search function is temporarily non-functional. The current search engine is no longer viable and we are researching alternatives.
As a stop gap measure, we are using Google's custom search engine service.
If you know of an easy to use, open source, search engine ... please contact support@midrange.com.



On 1/30/14 8:41 PM, Roger Harman wrote:
All of the low end printers have had a lobotomy to allow the price point to
be driven down. You need a printer that is not host-based - i.e. it has to
have a brain. Most now rely on the host (Windows, MAC, etc) to do the work.

Nothing new under the sun here: about a quarter-century ago, when even a "naked engine" 300dpi laser printer (I understand that the page raster was fed in through coax) would set one back $1000 or more, one could buy something called a "JLaser" interface card, from an outfit called "Tall Tree Systems," to spoon-feed the raster into the printer. I've never encountered such things myself; I only know of them because Xerox Ventura Publisher (the original, not the bloated PageFaker-knockoff that Corel released, taking its name in vain) came with a driver for a JLaser card.

In my experience, there's very little about any of HP's current offerings that isn't "on the cheap," and the only reason they're not cheapening them even more than they are is because they have a very profitable inkjet line.

I think the last decent line of desktop laser printers HP offered was probably the 2000-series, like my 2100M at home.

(Which is why my color laser is a Samsung: Sure, it's also a cheaply-made machine, but it's a cheaply-made machine priced to compete with inkjets, and unlike a bulky, noisy, expensive [Xerox or HP; I think it was a Xerox] color laser I owned for less than 24 hours, some years back, which advertised PostScript compatibility, but couldn't print even a simple PostScript data stream out of Ventura [particularly ironic, if it was indeed a Xerox], it's cheap, quiet, and compact enough that it doesn't have to double as my DOS laser printer.)

--
JHHL


As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This thread ...

Replies:

Follow On AppleNews
Return to Archive home page | Return to MIDRANGE.COM home page

This mailing list archive is Copyright 1997-2024 by midrange.com and David Gibbs as a compilation work. Use of the archive is restricted to research of a business or technical nature. Any other uses are prohibited. Full details are available on our policy page. If you have questions about this, please contact [javascript protected email address].

Operating expenses for this site are earned using the Amazon Associate program and Google Adsense.