🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Hi,

I wanted to respond to the note from Tracy Southworth:
(portions deleted)

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
The HP deskjets do not seem to be designed for this type of
printing, they are pretty slow and use expensive ink. Using the
Econofast setting helps this somewhat. Dot matrix printers
require frequent servicing to replace ribbons and to align the
paper. In my opinion it is far better to buy a workhorse of a
networked laser printer or two and let them service the entire
printing community. I am not talking about the inexpensive
lasers, but top of the line models with large paper trays, tons of
memory and speeds of 16 ppm. Of course I have not been able
to convince management of this, but it is always good to dream
about while constantly fixing printers.
---------- response -----

On our network, we use both approaches.  That is, we map LPT1: to the
nearest dot-matrix printer, and LPT3: to the lab's laser printer.  The
appropriate printer drivers are installed in our apps.  This permits
folks to use the dot-matrix for draft printing, and the lasers for
high-quality printing.

Dreams are nice, and lasers in Tracy's setup would certainly have an
advantage to the user community.  BUT - let's remind ourselves of some of the
inherent limitations of such a plan:

1. Look carefully at your maintenance coverage, especially for the warranty
period.  Occassionally, these large lasers (we use Digital Printserver 17)
will not include on-site maintenance in the warranty.  If the
printer goes down - you will simply be without a printer for a (long) while.
This is one area where several dot-matrix printers have a single laser
beat......some "creative shuffling" can allow dot-matrix printing to
stay up, even if one of the printers breaks.  In our configuration, we still
have dot-matrix on line to carry the load if the lasers are off-line for a
while.

2. Keep an eye on printing costs!  When we implemented our printing plan,
even our most pessimistic analysts were surprised at how much money the
toner and laser paper were costing us for students to laser print whenever
they want to.  We are now considering setting a laser printing "quota"
for students, or finding another method for having the users help pay
for the printing supplies.

3.  Take a careful look at the "tons of memory" option.
We have control of print jobs in the queue, but cannot control the
printer memory.  If a "garbage job" starts coming out that might waste
a ream or two of paper, the only way to kill it is to kill the printer, and
restart it.  Unfortunately, this also kills anyone else's job that was
in memory with this "malignant" printout.  Users don't like that part.
Also, our lasers take 20 or 30 minutes to warm up and come into service,
even if they were already warm........so this delay is not taken well by
the students who needed to turn something in in ten minutes.......
In some of these cases, a cheap laser printer with less memory, and very
fast come-on-line time would be a better alternative.



Just something for y'all to think about.............


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Donald E. Rosenberger                              Internet: DON@GROVE.IUP.EDU
College Technology Systems Manager                    Phone:  (412) 357-5768
(and) Treasurer, Advocates for DisABLED Students
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
G-2 Stright Hall
Indiana, PA  15705

lynx http://www.iup.edu/~don/

"I can defeat you physically with or without a reason.
 But I can only defeat your mind with a reason."           -Jim Lau
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