Details

Apri l 1997 / BYTE Hardware Lab Report / Details

Not a Laser : As a solid-ink printer, the Tektronix Phaser 350 is easier by far than a color laser to set up and manage. You insert several shape-keyed solid-ink pellets for each of the four colors and clos e it up. When you first turn the unit on, it takes a while for the printer to warm up -- it must melt the ink.
Easy as It Gets : Printers based on Canon's color laser engine (such as this Lexmark Optra C Pro) have the easiest setup and maintenance. There are only six elements to install: four monocomponent-toner cartridges (in the rotating carousel), the organic photoconductor (OPC) unit on which the laser builds the latent image for each toner color, and the fuser oil. You access all components from one side, which makes this large laser more space-efficient.
Not So Easy : With HP's Color LaserJet 5M, consumable components number a dozen, and setup involves plenty of pull tabs and tape strips (see the inset). You refill toner with disposable bottles. A sealing mechanism reduces spillage.

Not a Laser
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Easy as It Gets
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Not So Easy
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Matthew Wilson
My approach to software engineering is far more pragmatic than it is theoretical--and no language better exemplifies this than C++.

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