Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Path: blue.weeg.uiowa.edu!news.uiowa.edu!uunet!gatech!swiss.ans.net!fonorola!alpha.vaxxine.com!mhackett From: mhackett@vaxxine.com (Mike Hackett) Subject: Gathering printer info Message-ID: Organization: Some Assembly Required X-Newsreader: MacSOUP 1.0d4 Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 23:32:05 GMT Lines: 64 My wife and I are planning to pool our Christmas money and add to that whatever needed to get an inkjet printer. We're hoping to find a bargain after Christmas. In preparation for that, I'd like to get a handle on which printers we should be considering. I've started working on this chart, which may be of some use to others too when it is finished. I'd like to ask your help in confirming or correcting the information therein, and in filling in the unknowns. My ideal printer would have colour (with no cartridge swapping), built-in fonts, AppleTalk, and fairly straight paper path. From what I have seen so far, this printer does not exist. This printer is to be used by both a Mac and a IIgs, so having only a parellel port is a real pain. It can be used, but only with an additional piece of hardware for both systems, and to share it without swapping cables, I'll need to add either a switch box, or perhaps a better option (if it works with the II) is the printer sharing software I have seen for the Mac. (Does anyone have any experience with this type of program? If not, maybe I'll check in over in the Mac RT.) My Canon information is pretty sketchy, and the ones I know about all seem to be aimed at the IBM system. Are there Canons with AppleTalk and/or serial? Or are these the StyleWriters? (Canon makes the engine in those, right?) If anyone has contact info (email or phone number) for Canon, could you post that too? Thanks. The two things I like about the Canon printers I've read about is the straighter paper path (about 30-45 degrees instead of 180 as in the HPs) and the separate cartridges for each colour (a little thing, but a nice bonus). OK, here's the chart. Please post corrections and additions, including other inkjet printers that you might be using on you Apple II. Thanks for your help. Printer Resolution Colour? Ports Fonts? Drivers ------- ---------- ------- ----- ------ ------- HP DeskJet 500 300x300 No S,P Yes H,I HP DeskJet 500C 300x300 Yes * S,P Yes H HP DeskJet 520 300x300 No P Yes H,I? HP DeskJet 540 600x300 Opt. P Yes H,I? HP DeskJet 550C 300x300 Yes S,P Yes H HP DeskJet 560C 600x300 Yes P Yes H HP Deskwriter 300x300 No S,A No ? HP Deskwriter C 300x300 Yes * S,A No ? HP Deskwriter 540 600x300 No S,A No ? HP Deskwriter 550C 600x300 Yes S,A No ? Canon BJ200e 360x360 No P Yes? ? Canon BJ600 360x360 Yes ** P Yes? ? Canon BJ4000 720x360 Yes ** P Yes? ? Legend: ------ Ports: S = Serial, P = Parallel, A = AppleTalk Drivers: H = Harmonie (Vitesse), I = Independence (Seven Hills) * Must manually switch between colour and black cartridges. ** Separate cartridges for each colour - 4 in total (black + 3 colours). ======================================================================== Michael Hackett Internet: mhackett@vaxxine.com GEnie: M.HACKETT Some Assembly Required Voice: (905) 687-1729 BBS: (905) 687-9987