After many years of good service I am starting to get some paperjams
(13) and error codes (40) on my Laserjet 4 (or call it a 4M since I put
in a postscript simm), and I am looking at replacing it instead of
repairing it. Since I have a nice 10/100 card, ram simms, and spare
toner cartridges, but do want something a bit newer, I have been
thinking about a Laserjet 5, but I am a bit lost on all the letters.
Laserjet 5M sounds like what I need, and should be compatible with all
my spares, but I am open to any suggestions.

One point on my mind is that this printer is currently on 24/7, but
actually used very lightly, some days nothing, other days 50 pages or
less, so a good low power mode is very desirable.

I have a good sources for used printers, so just about any of the older
models will be very inexpensive to me.

Thanks.

"Danglerb" <mikefordz@gmail.com> wrote:
The LJ5 is a good printer, and so far as I know has a low standby current draw.
It is nearly the same as a LJ4+ which uses many different components to the LJ4.
So LJ4 spares will not be much good for a LJ5.
Tony

"Danglerb" <mikefordz@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133373900.258438.169560@g43g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
You should go for the LaserJet 5, or 5M if Postscript is important to
you. This is an excellent printer: as reliable as the L/J4, but faster and
more modern in appearance. They can be picked up quite cheaply today.
You will be able to use the memory from the L/J4 but not, I think, the
Postscript simm (it *may* possibly work, but the L/J5 as supplied came with
a differently-numbered PS simm). You'll be able to use the toner cartridges
you have and your existing 10/100 network card. But that's about all - the
4 & 5 use different fusers, so you won't have a spare.
As to the letters, 5, 5M (postscript) and 5N (with network card) use the
same print engine and are the ones you should be looking at. 5L & 5P should
be avoided at all costs, whilst 5Si (an excellent printer) is generally seen
as being too large for home use.

--
DB.

Thanks thats pretty much exactly what I needed to hear. The Plus stuff
had me confused the most. 5M is what I will look for then, and it
appears it will also use the same ram simms.

In article <1133373900.258438.169560@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"Danglerb" <mikefordz@gmail.com> wrote:

Mike-

A couple years ago where I worked, we replaced an old HP 4M+ with an HP
4200dtn. The 4200 was an extremely nice printer that we used quite
heavily.

The 4200 is slightly larger than the 4M+. Last year we got an HP 2300d
for the boss, which is smaller than the 4M+. I don't recall if it had
PostScript or not, but seemed to be a nice printer for medium duty use.
It has a socket for a network card but the boss used the USB interface
with his Windows machine.

It has been several years since we had the HP 5si MX. It was a great
printer for its time, but large and heavy. We had the duplexer option,
and could print double-sided on 11 X 17 paper.

My experience has been that each printer uses different options. The
network cards are more likely to work on other machines, but there are
several different ones in use.

Fred

I know HP has continued to refine the same basic design used in the 4
series, making both a heavy use and a cheapo line, but I am even
cheaper. For between $20 and $40 I expect to pick up a 5M in excellent
condition with a full toner cartridge, and make use of the toner
cartridge I am using now, plus the spare I have unopened. If it doesn't
have as good of a network card as the one I have now, I just swap mine
in.

Kinda big, kinda heavy, vs cheap, very cheap.

On 30 Nov 2005 11:02:21 -0800, "Danglerb" <mikefordz@gmail.com> wrote:

The toner carts, RAM and network cards are compatible between 4 and 5,
but not the PS SIMM -- this has to be customised for the specific
hardware. If you get a 5M it'll come with PS, otherwise you can find
PS SIMMS on Ebay for $15-20 (and sell your old one for about the
same).
Part numbers for PS SIMMS (just plug that into Ebay search):
HP4: C2080A
HP4 Plus: C3129A
HP5: C3918A.