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From: laser-lovers@uw-beaver
Newsgroups: fa.laser-lovers
Subject: Re: [William "Chops" Westfield : Winter 1984 DECUS Trip Report.]
Message-ID: <277@uw-beaver>
Date: Fri, 21-Dec-84 17:12:10 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.277
Posted: Fri Dec 21 17:12:10 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Dec-84 07:34:44 EST
Sender: daemon@uw-beaver
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 30

From: ihnp4!utzoo!henry@uw-beaver.arpa

>	...  Unlike either the HP or imagen,
>	the LN03 is not based on the Cannon copier - whereas the entire
>	print drum on the cannon needs to be replaced frequently, the LN03
>	has the more traditional (and requiring more skill to fix) multiple
>	part copier mechanism.  It isn't clear whether this is an advantage
>	or a disadvantage.

It depends on your priorities.  Canon's approach of making the drum part
of the toner cartridge effectively increases the cost of toner, since you
can't refill without also replacing the drum and various other things.
On the other hand, it means that most of the critical parts get replaced
every time you refill, which minimizes the need for maintenance and makes
certain important classes of repairs trivial.  It's like any throwaway
product:  much more convenient and fewer hassles, if the quality's good
and you can afford it.  The Canon catridges (so far) are of quite good
quality, and they are eminently affordable for most purposes.  (One
would not choose a printer this size for huge bulk print runs anyway.)

I trust that this part of the original message is more-or-less verbatim
from DEC, since it is skilfully phrased to make people think the Canon
engine requires frequent non-trivial maintenance.  Since the drum is part
of the cartridge, and replacing the cartridge is trivial, the ominous
tone of the phrasing is highly misleading.

Sounds to me like DEC has come up with another turkey.  Canon did it right.

				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry