.pl 50 SPECTSPOT Product: Epson HS-80 (LetterJet) Printer Type: Portable, On-demand, Ink Jet Printer Require Peripherals Fo us wit th PX-8 seria t paralle converter. Price: $450.00 Ease of Use: Good Performance: Excellent Documentation A wit mos Epso printer - complet an eas t comprehend. Summary Th performanc i excellent bu us wit th PX- i hampere sinc onl th paralle versio i available requirin th us o serial-paralle converter Lac o use contro o the paper-out sensor is also a problem. No designe fo hig quantit output i doe offe an acceptabl nea lette qualit font, an goo variet o printin enhancement an graphic capabilities. Manufacturer: Epson America 2780 Lomita Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505 SPECTSPOT Product: C2P Cable Type: Serial to Parallel Converter Cable Price: $79.95 Ease of Use: Superb Performance: Superb Features Bau rat selectabl fro 15 t 19,200 o bi data selectable; requires no external power supply. Documentation: Necessary settings listed right on cable Summary Th bes seria t paralle converte availabl fo us with portable computers and printers. Manufacturer: Brooksar Data Corporation 19 W 113 Ave. Normandy South Oakbrook, IL 60251 312-964-0660 by Bob Hermann Whe firs sa th Epso HS-8 a compute trad show couldn' wai t ge on fo myself Whe di bu LetterJet however mus admi tha it' initia operatio wa disappointing mainl becaus th promotio fo th printe nowher indicated fac brough ou i th manual Yo ca us th printe fo singl shee pape only Th manua explicitl dictate tha attempt t us formfee pape ma damag th printhea o th LetterJet Moreover bein onl 1/ inche wid th carriag o th printe i no wid enoug t accep formfee pape wit sprocke holes. Th LetterJet i no bein promote fo us wit th PX-8 Nowher i th manua i th P eve mentioned Wit n indicatio tha th seria versio wil eve b availabl i th U.S. t us th LetterJet wit th P yo nee a seria t paralle converter Althoug ther ar currentl severa differen model o th market Brooksa Dat ha ne on calle th C2 whic is think th choic to us wit th P an an paralle printer. Th amazin propert o thi converte i tha i i reall jus cabl si fee i length) Ther i n bulk box an moreover n externa powe sourc require t us i wit th PX Yo ca hoo th standar converte u t th 72 cable o yo ca bu on wit min di plu (fo $1 more an connec i directl t th PX-8 Th di switche controllin th communication parameter ar locate righ o to o th printe connector an diagra indicatin th variou setting o th revers side Thi i muc mor convenien the havin t tak apar th bo o th othe converter t se u th require communicatio parameters. Th converte draw th powe i need t functio fro th printer Thi eliminate th nee fo an DC powe sourc whic othe converter require an maintain th complet portabilit o th computer/printe system Strangel enough though t properl connec th P t paralle printe wit thi converter yo nee t mismatc th communication paramete setting o th P an th converter Wit th P se t bits n parity an on sto bit yo nee t se th converte t bits n parit an on sto bit S fa nothin bu ba new o th LetterJet Yo can' us i wit formfee paper an becaus onl th paralle versio i bein offered yo nee t spen a additiona $7 - $10 o serial/paralle converte t b abl t us i wit th PX-8 Mor ba news Becaus o th pape ou sensor yo can' prin pag number nea th botto o th pag fro WordStar Th documentatio doe no indicat an escap cod sequenc fo turnin th pape ou senso off preventin th customizatio o WordSta patc t d this No i thi functio controllabl b di switches T compensat fo thi fro WordStar yo ca us do command t chang th pag lengt o footin margin placin an pag number a th to o th page o omi pag number altogether. On o th majo sellin point o th LetterJet i th printin speed Liste a 16 character pe secon i th draf mode thi apparentl place i i categor clos t th F series Thi i misleading however Th LetterJet print UNIDIRECTIONALLY meanin tha afte makin pas th printhea mus retrea al th wa acros th pag befor initiatin th nex pass An her i 'rests fo almos secon afte returning Puttin thi i prope perspective printin pag (48 words o th FX80 i th draf mod require 3 seconds Th LetterJet output th sam documen i th draf mod i 7 seconds o a 48 o t FX' speed I th NL mod thi fil take minute 1 second t prin o th LetterJet givin a outpu o abou 1 character pe secon (puttin th FX-80' draf spee i thes term translate int 8 cps) Eve a slo a thi sounds i i stil markedl faste tha th P80X. Wha abou th qualit o th outpu o th LetterJet currentl us th LetterJet no onl wit m PX-8 bu als wit th QX-1 a "lette quality stationar printer Sittin a m QX hav th bac o m FX-8 locate a abou 11:0 a yo loo a th QX' screen ca switc th printe cabl fro th F t th LetterJet i abou second withou an stretching bending strainin o whatever Th LetterJet ha al th printin enhancement commonl use wit Valdocs and bein FX/LQ150 compatible work wel i thi respect. One limitation o bot th P80 an Hewlit Packar ThinkJe printer is thei restrictiv pape requirements No s wit th HS-80 Mos commonl availabl type o pape ma b used Th smoothe th bon an th dense th surface th better. Use control includ Powe On-Off Manua For Fee Knob O Line For Fee (FF) an Lin Fee (LF buttons pape releas lever an si di switche tha allo selectio o automati lin feed cu shee feede mode NLQ/Draf qualit print an determinatio o on o eigh internationa characte sets N acces t contro o th pape ou sensor whic i sorel needed. Wit ful batter charge yo wil easil obtai th claime 75 page o outpu i th draf mode o almos 5 i th NL mode Yo wil als us u th bette portio o a in injecto cartridge a $6.0 pe cartridge yo se anothe reaso th HS- 8 i no designe fo grea quantatie o output. Th LetterJe cas i constructe o th typ o plasti tha th P8 is Lik th P80 th H doe no powe of automaticall i lef on n exceptional featur o th Axioni portabl printe line T se i ther woul b an problem wit in leakag whe transportin th printer too of th cove t th in tan an turne th printe upsid dow an lef i overnight N leakag wa observed s althoug th H i somewha large tha th P8 (4.1 lbs v 2. lbs) i woul see t b a portabl in terms of construction Th printin technolog tha th Letterje employ i referre t a 'serial on-deman in jet do matrix' Thi mean tha i print on characte a tim (serial) thi characte bein forme fro serie o dot (do matrix) A oppose t contac printer th LetterJe printhea 'meters in ont th pape throug serie o nozzles Sinc ther i n contac wit th paper yo woul expec th operatio t b quie compare t a FX-80 I actualit woul sa th nois level ar almos equal Th soun tha th LetterJet make i entirel differen fro th do matri printer Rememberin tha als wor i i hospital i coul b bes describe a sounding like a 'wheezing asthmatic'. Woul recommen purchas o th Letterje fo us wit th PX No a th liste $450 considerin yo woul als nee t spen almos anothe $10 fo serial-paralle converter Bu hav see th HS-8 availabl fo littl a $320 Fo thi price i yo nee th specifi capabilitie o th LetterJe an ca endur th limitation mentione above nothin compares Compare t othe portabl printers yo won' fin anothe wit th versatilit o pape typ handlin an variet o printin enhancements qualit o output portability capabilit t b use a stationar lette qualit printe an relativ spee t othe battery-powere printers If i spit o th indicate limitations yo d wan LetterJe an nee a accompanyin converter th Brooksa C2P woul definitel be th on o choice.