CompuServe Thread

#Laser Printer for Amiga

18 messages in this thread
#110813From: Dominick J. FontanaAug 19, 1993 4:40 AM
*** Need Laser Printer Advice *** I have a chance to buy a laser printer from a company that's moving, at a very good price. I'll have the price and the make and model number tomorrow. I then have to make a quick decision as to whether to buy it. Right now I don't know the make/model, but I'd like to ask what are the requirements for a laser printer to work with an Amiga 2500? I won't buy it if it won't work with the Amiga. What is it that the printer has to have to be Amiga-compatible, or can virtually any laser printer work with the Amiga? I'm not certain, but I think it's an Apple laser printer. I do know that it was being used with a MacPlus. Please let me know what laser printers will work with the Amiga. If this printer fits the bill, I'll probably buy it. Thanks. Dom Fontana –> Sent from NY via AP <–
#110818From: Christopher TolmieAug 19, 1993 6:52 AM
Dom, I would think you'd know you need at least a parallel printer port. Also if it is an Apple laserwriter it only has the appletalk port and you'll need to add the DoubleTalk card to your Amiga to get an appletalk port on the Amiga to connect it. Check the memory installed on the printer too, the more the merrier, plus the more graphics you'll be able to print on a page. I would imagine a printer driver will come with the doubletalk card, but I'd ask before I bought it. <G> Chris
#110824From: Michael GerardAug 19, 1993 9:08 AM
Dom, If the printer has a parallel port and supports at least HP Laser emulation, it will work just fine… check to see how much memory is installed… you'll want to get one with about 1.5 meg to print out full pages from ProPage/PageStream. If it has only a .5 meg, you'll want to add memory.
#110828From: Bill ReevesAug 19, 1993 10:35 AM
In addition to the HP and Apple interface/emulations, Postscript should also work. Bill
#110871From: RICHARD BOOMSMAAug 19, 1993 6:51 PM
>laser printer at a very good price. Don't want to rain on your party. Laser printers are _fantastic_…if your need one. Keep in mind the overhead costs, toner cartridges, paper, etc. will cost your nearly 4 cents PER PAGE as opposed to several pages to the penny on a dot matrix. (keep the old headache inducer around for long documents and the like) 🙂
#110911From: Dominick J. FontanaAug 20, 1993 3:57 AM
Richard, Thanks, but I'm familiar with laser printer costs. Also, I haven't owned a dot matrix printer for years. 😎 Dom Fontana –> Sent from NY via AP <–
#110951From: RICHARD BOOMSMAAug 20, 1993 1:38 PM
I've seen so many posts by you that I assumed you weren't a novice. It may help someone else though. I know I was _very_ surprised at the cost! I print out tons of stuff. All the docs and manuals for programs I download for an example. The cost to do this on a laser printer would not make it feasable (so I keep a bottle of Tylenol handy 🙂 on anything other than a dot-matrix. I will say that for quality, a laser printer is obviously THE way to go. Rich – Flying the friendly AP skys
#111055From: Brian BartlettAug 21, 1993 4:48 AM
Rich, especially if one is in college. Apparently the professors expect dot matrix printouts, when you provide them with a Laser output, they are quite suprised, or at least that is my experience. Good for an upgrade in the grade, at least. Brian
#111130From: Dominick J. FontanaAug 21, 1993 7:57 PM
Richard, Yes, I agree that the cost per page with a laser is much more than with a dot-matrix. Thanks. Dom Fontana –> Sent from NY via AP <–
#110955From: Christian BusseAug 20, 1993 2:47 PM
Richard, $.02 is about the price for one page on a Kyocera F-1500 – all included!!! (devaluation, a few hundred thousand pages of recycling paper, toner and servicing (source: PC Professionell's September 1993 issue – German daughter-mag of some US publication). // Chris coming in from Germany \X/ on AutoPilot 1.06………..
#110893From: Karl F. KugelAug 19, 1993 11:25 PM
Dom, if it's a Laserwriter (not a Laserwriter II) I would give it a pass. They are OK for text but extremely slow when printing graphics. The later Laserwriter II was much improved. Even Apple could learn by their second try. <g>
#110898From: Jonathan HirschmanAug 20, 1993 12:08 AM
Dominick, Basically, the laser is most likely either Postscript or HP. I think that you might be better off with Postscript, especially with the CBM Postscript driver. I don't think that font handling on HP's is very good on the Amiga, but I am not speaking from experience. I have a LaserWriter II NTX hooked up to my Amiga, via a port switching device called a Buffalo Box. It allows my PC and Amiga to alternatively access both my modem and my printer. This is handy, since the Amiga only has one serial port. I print mostly graphics, and some Propage. Don't do much WP on the Amiga anymore – its hard to beat Word on the clone, under Windows. If its hooked up to a Mac, its almost definitely Postscript, and if its an Apple branded printer, please consider that none of their lasers have parallel ports. Lastly…it could be a Quickdraw printer (read: Mac only). If this is the case, don't spend anything on it, since it'll be useless to you. I'll check my E-mail tomorrow, so as soon as you find out, contact me. I can give you better advice when I know what it is. //Jonathan, \\//via AutoPilot
#110937From: Ron LegroAug 20, 1993 11:57 AM
I'm running a Postscript laserprinter (an Okidate) on an A500 via the serial port and the AmigaDOS Postscript printer driver. No trouble. The non-PS version of this printer (the Oki400 something or other) goes for around $450 street price, new, and it's a solid machine, so bear that in mind if you're buying used. If you have AMAX II+, you can plug in an Apple-compatible laserprinter directly, but it probably will only work from the Apple emulation, not Workbench. — Ron Legro from Milwaukee via AUTOPILOT (The only way to fly)
#111129From: Dominick J. FontanaAug 21, 1993 7:57 PM
Thnaks for the info, Ron. The Apple laser fell through. It was broken. I'll keep the Okidata in mind. Dom Fontana –> Sent from NY via AP <–
#111139From: Paul DowgewiczAug 21, 1993 8:30 PM
FYI, Oki has recently come out with the replacement for the OL-400, which explains the 50 USD rebate. The OL-400e has a smaller footprint, more resident fonts, a RISC engine, microfine toner, and a street price of about 500 USD. Based on my experience with the -400, I think they make a good quality and priced printer. Paul
#111382From: Malcolm O'BrienAug 24, 1993 12:25 PM
Paul, I just reviewed the OL-400e. It's also an Energy Star device, using <30 watts (and making NO sound) when in power-saving mode. Also accepts HP softfonts and font cards. Strictly 300, no res enhancement. But definitely a very good value. Nice control panel too. Malcolm
#111481From: Michael MastAug 25, 1993 6:33 AM
Please….How much will it cost?
#111821From: Malcolm O'BrienAug 29, 1993 2:54 PM
Michael, I think it's about $650 here in Canada. Notably less in the rest of the civilized world. :/ Malcolm