From: joeles@cup.portal.com (Joel Edward Swan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Re: Whether to buy a Canon BubbleJet or a HP DeskJet500
Date: Fri,  4 Sep 92 23:37:21 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <1992Sep3.142344.1697@sophia.smith.edu>
  <1992Sep3.174333.12688@hubcap.clemson.edu>

>jfieber@sophia.smith.edu (John Fieber) writes:
>
>>In article <184a3gINNmvd@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> al705@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Ed
i
>th D Goldstein) writes:
>>>I have a BubbleJet 130 it has a wide carriage and 136x136 dpi.  Wolf
>>>Faust's drivers let me take advantage of these features which the C
>>>recommended driver (CBM_MPS 1000) did not.  (I think the Deskjet is only
>>>130 dpi.)
>
>>BZZZAAAAP!  Wrong answer.  The Deskjet 500 (and 500 C) are 300dpi.
>
>And my Canon BJ-5 is 360dpi.  BJ10e and BJ10ex are also 360dpi.  As are
>most other BubbleJets, I think.

Be sure that it's not just the SPACING that is 360dpi, but the DOT SIZE as
well.  I know that the Epson dot matrixes that claim 360 can place a huge
180dpi dot at a 360dpi spacing.  Not true 300dpi.  I don't know about Canon.

>
>Wolf Faust's drivers really do take advantage of the BJ series' power.  Also
>very nice is the ability to select any Amiga font (bitmap or Compugraphic)
>and have it downloaded to the printer automatically.

There are also some highly tuned commercial drivers for the DJ and DJC.
Real nice.
>
>>>>               2) What aspects of you bubblejet/deskjet you are
>>>>                  dissatified about?
>>>
>>>Starting a new cartridge can be a real pain, you seem to have to shake them
>>>a lot and after getting it to work fine for a while, all of the sudden the
>>>ink doesn't come out properly again.  After this second session of cleaning
>>>and shaking, it goes along pretty well until it is REALLY empty.
>
>>With the deskjet, you just stick the cartrige in and hit the
>>"prime" button which takes care of all the "shaking" automatically.

Actually, all you need to do is turn the printer on and the cartridge will
be "wiped" and "sucked" automatically.  The prime button is ususally never
needed.  (At least I've never needed it.) The cartridge works every time
until it empties.

>
>With my BubbleJet, all I have to do is put the cartridge in and hit the
>Fwd Adjust and Rev Adjust simultaneously, which makes the printer clean the
>cartridge.  I clean the cartridge twice, and it's ready to go and will keep
>going until it runs out of ink...
>
>>>>               4) The speed (graphics and text) of the HP DeskJet 500
>
>>I'll have to check the manual on this but I know for a fact that
>>with graphics, it is the computer, not the printer that is
>>holding things up (usually).  (I have an plain 68000)
>
>As with the BJ series, of course.
True.  The 500 can keep up with any graphics output from my 2500.  It also
has a super fast draft mode for text that looks better than any normal dot
matrix NQ.

>>>>               5) The quality of output from each of these printers.
>
>>The DeskJet is great at 300dpi but it is pretty picky about
>>paper.  You have to find some with a good smooth surface or else

I found it to be REAL picky.  In fact, it is forgiving.  All you need is some
normal copy paper or even writing paper.  The key to any jet technology is
to use a smooth surfaced paper.

>>you will end up with furry letters as the fibers wick the ink
>>away from where it was intended.
>
>I use copier paper and get great results with my BJ.  Just don't get your
>printouts wet (BJ ink seems to be water-soluble...). :)

Same with DJ ink, though HP has developed a more water resistant ink.

>
>>===jfieber@sophia.smith.edu==================================================
>--
>+ Rick __     + EMAIL:charlet@hubcap.clemson.edu +   //\          + /|\ It's +
>|      /aylor | IRC  : Tomalek / The Romulan     | \X/--\miga 500 |  J rainy |
>+-------------+----------------------------------+----------------+----------+
>+"If you love her, she'll dump you faster than you can blink an eye..." #@?! +
>

The name behind the DeskJet may be one of the best reasons to get one.  HP
is a CLASS act.  I've never been disappointed with them.  In fact, I was
having a problem with MicroSoft Word with the DJ one day and called HP.  The
tech on the phone brought up Word on her computer and walked through the
problem with me (I had inadvertantly changed a dip switch on my DJ!).
Bingo! The problem was fixed fast and for FREE.  Class....

-Joel
-------
   ========================================================================
  / Joel E. Swan....Pres./...Media Specialties, Ltd., Oak Forest, IL.USA  /
 / & Senior Producer..../...Moody Broadcasting Network, Chicago, IL. USA /
/ Portal ID: joeles..../...joeles@cup.portal.com                        /
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