Printer SetUp Question Re-Visited

[Brian K. White]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Art Moore" <cowboy at pcanswersinc.com>
To: "filePro List" <filepro-list at lists.celestial.com>
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 1:45 PM
Subject: Printer SetUp Question Re-Visited


> Thanks to everybody who responded to my first note on this question.
> Everybody ended up with just about the same answer which was print
> indirectly via NotePad or Word or use W. Vaughn's suggestion of Print 
> Wizard
> from Anzio.
>
> With all respect to Anzio and many thanks to Bob Rassmusen who called me
> directly at my request my client believes that  they would rather spend 
> the
> money on a new printer that would work with filePro than get involved with
> anything else.
>
> My problem is I have talked with Dell and been to three computer stores.
> Dell knew of Windows GDI but none of the computer store people had any 
> idea
> of what it meant.  None of them could tell me what printer to buy that 
> would
> work with filePro since they never heard of filePro and I was not able to
> explain why it would not work.
>
> We are looking for a printer in the $100 to $125 range which Epson and HP
> both have.  The printing application is filePro reports, filePro 
> "H"ardcopy
> of screens and other things in the Windows environment (Excel, Word,
> WordPerfect etc.).  If possible maybe pictures later but this is not a
> priority.
>
> Any suggestions of what printers to look at or how to explain that filePro
> does not talk Windows GDI to people who know even less than I do about it
> would be very much appreciated.
>
> The printer has a USB port connection.
>
> THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
>
> Art Moore
>
> PS:  Is this okay Walter, if you're reading?

I don't know of any that cheap. That is absolute scum of the earth printer 
pricing there.
Tolerable printers for light to medium duty start at about $300
The cheapest actually good ones are about $100 more.

Another way to say what you don't want is you don't want host-based 
printing.
I wouldn't even consider any inkjet either even though some HP's will work.

I suggest this: 
http://www.1shopdirect.com/estore/item.wws?pk=1425.95836&p=Y&s=NX

bizarrely the specs in that particular add happen to say "host based" but 
linuxprinting.org (which I trust a lot more than any spec sheet except from 
the manufacturer themselves) very clearly shows it supporting pcl5e 
natively.

Alternatives are hp 1100 series, 1200 series, and 1300 series (all laserjet, 
not the all in one inkjet 1300)
but not 1000 series or 2000 series.

These sometimes a little cheaper but they cost more later in the form of 
drums & toners that need to be replaced a lot more often at $50 to $75 a 
pop.
Brother hl-1440 but not hl-1435

You need to know more than the sales droids. they know absolutely nothing 
even if you did know what to ask for, because, in fact you DID know what to 
ask for and did ask for it.

In fact, I'd buy a used HP laserjet 6 or 6P or HP-laserjet-ANY but the above 
noted exceptions from ebay for $100 before I'd buy a brand new Brother. In 
fact I have, and I am still using the 5L I got for $90 three years ago.

We are sick of putting drums & toner into our brother hl-1240, but it does 
work with fp, we'll sell it to you cheap, but it's not worth the shipping. 
:)

Brian K. White  --  brian at aljex.com  --  http://www.aljex.com/bkw/
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