I have just purchased a Hewlett Packard DeskJet 500 printer to connect to my Compaq 386s microcomputer, I am featuring it here because it may be of interest to anyone wishing to obtain high-quality printed output, without the expense of purchasing a laser printer.
The printing method used by the DeskJet is described as “plain paper drop-on-demand thermal ink jet printing”. The characters are formed by a matrix of tiny dots, 30 x 50 in letter quality mode (LQM), and 15 x 50 in draft quality mode (DQM). The result in LQM is very high-quality printed output. In addition, because the printer uses a matrix method to form characters, it is possible to print graphics and to use a range of fonts. The latter are available as font cartridges.
The DeskJet uses a built-in sheet feeder, which holds up to 100 sheets. Envelopes, however, have to be fed manually. Hence, the printer would not be suitable for operations such as mail-shots. Another drawback for high-volume applications is the print speed. In LQM this is 120 characters per second (cps) at 10 characters per inch (cpi), and in DQM it is 240 cps at 10 cpi.
Apart from print quality, the main advantages of ink jet technology are quietness of operation and flexibility of printed output. Also, the DeskJet 500 is very compact, having a footprint of 440 mm x 377mm, and relatively light (6.5kg). This contrasts with a huge 23kg for the HP LaserJet II.
My printer was supplied by Computer Engineering Services, Concord House, 121 Bellhouse Road, Sheffield, S5 6HP (0742 420332).
