CompuServe Thread

#DeskJet 500 Color

17 messages in this thread
#37887From: Dan ColeOct 22, 1991 6:54 PM
Did I hear that there is a color version of DeskJet 500 out or coming out? If so when and how much?* Dan Cole
#37899From: John PendergrassOct 22, 1991 8:45 PM
There is a DeskWriterC (DeskJet for the Mac with Color) that I looked at Monday evening. Output looks pretty darn good. Full color at 300DPI. Plain paper. Looks identical to the DeskWriter (for the Mac). Uses only one cartridge, though. That cartridge can be either COLOR or BLACK. (not two cartridges like the PJ) So if you switch tween color printing and B&W printing often you'll be swapping cartridges a lot. (sad design decision, if you ask me) The demo only had bar graphs (shoot, any color printer can do a decent job on bar graphs); I wanted to see bitmaps, but they weren't set up for it right then, so I didn't. Price was @ $695 (which was a moderately discounted price). Remember! This was a Macintosh Color DJ, not a regular DeskJet. It has the Mac 'logic' built into it. There is supposed to be a regular version of the Deskjet coming out RSN with color; I suppose called the 'DeskJetC'. Should be real nice, if we can get some a real good printer driver for it!
#37953From: Paul LakeyOct 23, 1991 12:49 PM
John, On the subject of colour inkjets I would be very keen to hear any comments concerning the Mannessman Tally MT92C or Kodak Diconix 330 if you have seen either of them, both supposed to be 300 DPI colour inkjets. The MT sounds good but as you say in your comments about the Deskjet,will there be a driver for it?.
#37957From: Vic WagnerOct 23, 1991 3:16 PM
John, According to a local dealer, the HP DeskJet C _is_ available. MSRP is purportedly $1000. Of course, less at the usual places. There is also purportedly an upgrade for any current DeskJet owners (reported as $450 and send the printer to HP…for about 3 weeks). That's all I know at this point, except one of the local High Schools has one of the DeskWriters…we're gonna get it hooked up to the Amiga somehow <grin>.
#37980From: John PendergrassOct 23, 1991 7:35 PM
Interesting. I'm certainly interested, and will likely give HP a call RSN to check on the 'upgrade' possibility. (shoot, I sent my original DJ back for a DJ500 upgrade. HP are good folk!) Thanks for the info. –jp–seattle–
#38559From: Chris GentschOct 28, 1991 10:37 PM
Saw the color DJ (Mac version) at a campus computer show two weeks ago. Real pretty pictures – 300dpi dithered color- an amazing quality output for the bucks (around $699 with educational discount). Does wondrous things with 24bit files. However, the IBM version was not yet out and will require someone to create an AMIGA driver for it. I haven't seen anything that comes close to the quality for the $ and on plain paper at that. The other HP jets are coming down in price though and will give better saturation (though lower res) on the clay coated paper. Almost forget – this thing is pretty slow, but for the money I think it's a great all around cheap printer if you need color and nearly laser quality B&W. 3
#38568From: John PendergrassOct 29, 1991 12:24 AM
Yeah it looks pretty slick. I had a chance to use on hooked up to an IBMer last weekend, and the output was very good. They were expecting a 'for sale' shipment any day now. Price at this local store will be $695, so you might want to nag your 'educational' folk to lower the price even further 🙂 I'd expect to see a good amiga driver for it RSN. Maybe if we all buy one and then nag ASDG to add direct output support for it in ADPro? Or for the folks who make the DJ driver (DJHelper) to do a driver for it? –jp–seattle–
#38593From: Paul ToalOct 29, 1991 4:41 AM
John or Chris, have either of you heard about upgrading a DeskJet 500 to DeskJet c? HP said it can be done but didn't say how much and how how (?). Paul –pt–not seattle– 😉
#38660From: John PendergrassOct 29, 1991 8:06 PM
Yeah you can upgrade from your DJ500 (or other DJ's) to a DJ500C. Cost will be $495 for a DJ500. Mail it to nearest full service center and they send you an upgraded printer back in about two weeks. (I upgraded my orig DJ to a DJ500 this way, and it works great) Call this phone number to get an official 'coupon' authorizing the upgrade, and your nearest service center: 800-752-0900. You don't pay until you send the printer in, so you may as well request the coupon if you're considering it. On the otherhand, the cost of the DJ500-C will be just $695 at my local computer dealer. So, I can upgrade for $500, or get a whole new printer for just $200 more…. hmmm… ie. if you can sell your old DJ500 for over 200 or so, you may as well do so and get a new printer 🙂 (check your local prices, of course!) –jp–seattle–
#39218From: Charles BlaquiereNov 2, 1991 8:55 PM
John, SIX NINETY FIVE??? My Gawd! This makes the color Deskjet much more atractive! What dealer is offering that price? Blaq! – via Whap!
#39328From: John PendergrassNov 3, 1991 3:08 PM
Well, I don't think $695 is much off list, actually. A place called Ballard Computer (BIG computer shop) is selling it for that price. Since Ballard isn't known for particularly 'good' prices, I wouldn't doubt that it will be much cheaper M.O. or at discount shops…. Yeah, it sounds pretty good. Makes me wonder whether I should take up their upgrade offer (they will upgrade my DJ500 for @ $500), or just buy a new printer and have two? Anyone want to purchase a used DJ500 for $300? –jp–seattle–
#38609From: SyndesisOct 29, 1991 8:50 AM
I know there's a PC version imminent – I saw a beta machine working under Windows. It looks great, no? HP has a great developer's program. Call Jerry at Creative Focus, and if he's not working on it, tell him he should!
#38661From: John PendergrassOct 29, 1991 8:06 PM
Do you have Jerry (at Creative Focus) phone #. The # is not in the docs anywhere, nor is Creative Focus listed in the Chenango Park phone listings…. but it is a great product, and I'd hope he was working on it! If you've got the #, drop it here, ok? Thanks. –jp–seattle–
#38687From: SyndesisOct 29, 1991 9:51 PM
Nope, I don't have his number any more. Last I knew, he lived in Wappingers Falls, New York. Perhaps you should check an Amazing Computing product guide…
#38839From: John PendergrassOct 30, 1991 7:58 PM
Well You're Right! Why didn't I think of that? I just checked the last Amazing Product Guide and his phone # is listed! I never thought to check there. Thanks. –jp–seattle–
#37988From: Charles BlaquiereOct 23, 1991 9:25 PM
Dan, the HPPERIPH Forum library contains the press release for the DJ 500C, along with a few threads sprouting here and there. Basically: $1059 suggested retail, $450 upgrade from DJ 500, $550 upgrade from DJ or DJ+. Holds either a black cartridge or a 3-color cart. User control over dithering mode, so I gather that the dithering is created by the printer itself, which would mean it accepts 24-bit data. This would, in turn, mean any hacker could write an IFF24 dump program in short order. Blaq! – via Whap!
#38040From: daniel wolfOct 24, 1991 2:30 AM
my local HP distributor sent me a sample of its output on the MAC and it looks sweet.et