Denys, 

It is also a difference in design philosophy.   Customers paid $1000 for a printer because it could withstand day to day operation on the shop floor.   I have a problem keeping today's printers running in the same environment.

Yes there is something to be said about new technology.   Do business needs and requirements change as fast as technology?

I know of several HP 2563A printers hooked up quite nicely to an HP Jet Direct box.  Still humming and still low maintenance.   Yes, you can print from today's laptop, not that you want to.

On a completely different side note.   I need to retire my tent.   It is a Kelty Quattro-2M tent.  I called Kelty and explained my dilemma.  They asked for the model number.   After looking in the system, they asked to put me on hold.  5 minutes later they came back with "Sir, we have not made that tent since 1991".

The new tents are 2 lbs lighter.  It will be interesting to see if the new tent lasts another 20 years.  :-)   (Kelty offered me a 45% discount on any tent on their web site)

-Craig


--- On Thu, 3/10/11, Denys Beauchemin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Denys Beauchemin <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: [HP3000-L] HP256x Printer Static Encoder
To: "'Craig Lalley'" <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, March 10, 2011, 2:40 PM

What I am trying to say is that devices that do very little can last a very
long time.  Think hammer, for example.

On the other hand, technology is developing so quickly it's a total joke
trying to stay up to date.

Jeff makes an excellent point about it being easier to change the printer
instead of the print cartridge.   Yes, printers nowadays (along with a lot
of other electronic equipment) seem to be built on-the-cheap.  However,
their capabilities are incredible compared to equipment just a few years
old, let alone 10 or 20 years.

If I paid $2000 for a printer, I would want it to last for a decade or more,
but I know that whatever capabilities is has will pale in comparison to a
cheap printer a few years from now.

Try plugging in a 10 year old printer to your recently purchased laptop?
Now, where is that Centronics plug?

Yes, we are talking living fossil printers here, the HP256x, but then again
the HP3000 is a "living" fossil.

Denys

-----Original Message-----
From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Craig Lalley
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 4:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [HP3000-L] HP256x Printer Static Encoder

--- On Thu, 3/10/11, Denys Beauchemin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Big deal.  Gutenberg's press probably still works today.


Denys,

LOL   Very true, but is the Gutenberg press used on a daily basis in a
production environment?

-Craig



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