From: plambert@bluegreen.crayola.cs.psu.edu (Paul M Lambert)
Subject: Re: Why not to get DeskWriter (was Re: HP Deskwriter Bug?)
Organization: Penn State Computer Science
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 22:56:48 GMT

In article <ngj2adm@rpi.edu> anderj2@marcus.its.rpi.edu (Jason Anderson) writes:
>In article <1ggmhuINNncm@lester.appstate.edu> WHITESR@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU (*Steve White         ) writes:
>>
>>Well, I WAS leaning towards getting a Deskwriter, primarily because of
>>its multiple speed advantage over the Stylewriter and Imagewriter
>>and print appearance improvement over the Imagewriter. Sounds like
>>I should reconsider?
>
>I am confused as to what changed your mind.  We basically pointed out that
>it was not a bug with the driver.  Rather, it was a misunderstanding of the
>three print qualities.  The normal mode which runs very well for me provides
>all the quality needed for printing without grayscale.  Actually, I doubt one
>would notice a difference with best quality.  However, on those occasions when
>I am using grayscale, I find that the scattered blending mode using best 
>quality provides excellent results.  I have printed 256-grays gifs with great
>results.  Though I have no experience with the StyleWriter, I doubt that it
>can do better or even as good.  Since I bought my DeskWriter second hand almost
>two years ago, I have printed many things with never a problem.  I have used
>it to print newsletters, posters, etc.
>
>There was a problem one user was discussing with memory problems.  But, this
>was fixed by using the TrueType fonts instead of the DeskWriter fonts.  Was
>there another reason not get a DeskWriter?
>
>Jason
>
>I don't work for HP.  I am just a very happy customer. :)
>

Well, I for one have many reasons!  Even the DW 2.2 software drivers don't
work well... I am in charge of a very small network, with a DeskWriter, Image-
Writer II, two Mac Classics running Sys 6.07, a Mac SE running Sys 6.07, and
an LC II running Sys 7.01.

The DW 3.1 drivers DON'T WORK!  If I install them, they run fine for a few
hours, but then when I finally say "hey, they're working!" and leave, someone
comes to get me and they've stopped.  Suddenly the public macs (the Classics)
no longer will print.  When you click OK, no matter WHAT the settings, you
get an address error.  It happens in every application.

Sometimes, though, they don't bomb.  It prints on the SE just fine (well, sort
of--note I said "prints," not "works!")  The LC II doesn't have obvious
problems, either.

But if you print in MacWrite II, the whole page is really screwed up.  Spacing
of the letters jumps around; words are printed TWICE in TWO DIFFERENT FONTS
over the same space; things I asked to be Times 14 pt. will come out with what
seems to be Geneva 12 pt. on top of Brush Script 18 pt.  Italicized text is
printed BOTH italicized and plain, on top of each other.  Underlined text
sometimes just doesn't show.

On the LC II, if I switch to Reduced View in MacWrite II, ONLY WHEN THE DESK-
WRITER IS SELECTED, the text doesn't get smaller, just the page does; it clips
the normal-sized text as if it were reduced.  It's hard to explain.  It's also
damn annoying.

So why do I bother using version 3.1 of the drivers?  I don't.  But the same
problems occur with MacWrite II and version 2.2 of the drivers.  Just not as
often.  It'll bomb, it'll screw up the page, it'll do everything you didn't
ask it to.

I haven't had too much time to bitch at Hewlett Packard or Claris (who makes
MacWrite II).  For all I know, some of the problems may be MacWrite II's fault.
But then again, a lot of the problems happen with any software.  I suggest you
don't get a DeskWriter.  It's a great printer, but until HP learns how to
write printer drivers, don't bother.  They've given it three or four tries now
and it's almost but not quite as reliable as the ImageWriter II AppleTalk
driver a friend uses on his AMIGA Mac emulator.  That's pretty bad.  I have to
charge $0.10 per page to use the DeskWriter, not because it costs that much to
print, but because I feel bad charging people directly for the pages they print
that don't come out anything like what they wanted.

I just tried last night to print a sign with one word: QUIET! at 192 points in
Times, centered sideways on the page.  It looked fine on-screen, but it put
about three inches between each letter on the page, running the "I" off the
bottom.  I was so mad, I almost just disconnected the thing, but I can't since
we have a lot of people counting on it for their good copies of term papers
and such.  But they've all learned to save first.

It's a pity so many people here are buying computers and choosing IBM because
even though it's more difficult to use, "at least they work."

I hate Hewlett Packard.

--Paul

(this is my opinion.  people only listen to me when i'm wrong.  do so at your
 own risk.  this is a warning.  repeat: listen to me at your own risk!)