A sign of the times

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Friday 25 January 2008 20:53, Chuck Guzis wrote:
> I've been using a couple of Panasonic laser printers for years; a KX-
> P4455 (PS/PCL) and a KX-P4451 (PCL).  They're real beasts of
> machines; I'd guess that they weight somewhere around 60 lbs. each--
> heavy enough to cause me to grunt when lifting them.
>
> These are the kind of units that requires one to add toner to a
> compartment periodically. Drum and developer are separate cartridges.
>
> The time came to replace the OPC drum in one of these--after pricing
> the remanufactured ones and checking the deals on eBay, it turned out
> not to be practical.  I found that I can get a factory refurb Brother
> 5240 from Staples.com for $40 shipped.   When it runs out of toner, I
> can just buy another one at that price (1200 DPI, 23 PPM and most
> important--a parallel interface).

I've got a Panasonic KX-P6500 that needs a new "process unit" (drum problems) 
and have not been able to find them for less than roughly four times that,  
which is a darn shame as it's a compact little unit...

> So what to do with the old monsters?  They use 68000 CPUs, with
> differing SIP and DIP memories.  Scrappers, I guess.  It's sad
> because both of these have pretty much been the only printer I've
> used since a Diablo Hitype II.  It wouldn't surprise me if each has
> more than 250,000 copies on it.
>
> It's just a shame that such a nicely engineered piece of gear is now
> worth only its weight in scrap metal.

I know of folks that go after a lot more than that in there,  motors and 
mechanicals and such,  too.  I've yet to scrap a laser printer.

> But nobody collects printers, not even vintage ones.

Tell me about it.  I have a bunch of them available (have a look here:
http://mysite.verizon.net/rtellason/w4s.html ) -- Okidata,  mostly.  And I've 
managed to get interest in _one_ of them so far,  sold it to a guy down 
south...

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin