EPSON does it again ... and again

I have used EPSON laser printers for several years. Starting with the EPL5500, I have had experience with EPL5700, EPL5700L, EPL5800 and very recently EPL5900. I am rather confused by the subcategories offered in this section. I cannot find a model labelled EPL5700PTx and assume it to be mixed up with the EPL5700PS which has a PostScript upgrade. The model with the suffix 'i' appear to be designed for the AppleMac computer. The models with the suffix 'L' are Windows dedicated printers. All these printers are Black and White lasers.

I was in the need for a new laser printer for my home office situation. My needs are not that uncommon in that I do a lot of repetitive word processing. As I standardised much of my output in the years when WordPerfect for DOS was king my output format was to the Postscript standard of an Apple LaserWriter. When Word became the Windows standard I migrated most of the routine work to this later program but my major reporting format (with its boilerplate libraries and its liberal use of the WP51 macro language) has prevailed. I have not wanted to take on board a full scale conversion of these major documents to Word2000. Consequently my choice of laser printer has had to be capable of adapting to both formats.

My need for a new machine coincided with the introduction of the EPL5800. It has a better resolution and a faster page per minute speed. It is a different shape but (mercifully) it uses the same toner cartridge and photoconductor unit as the 5700 (unlike the previous 5500). I had the optional Postscript board added.

Otherwise performance is fast (10 ppm in text mode) and the printer sounds quieter than its predecessor. It has a fairly small footprint on the desk although the paper feed cartridge (150 sheets capacity) does project a little from the front.

Overall I have been very happy with this printer and it has become the work horse of my home office environment. I was even happier when the UK edition of Personal Computer World magazine for March 2001 carried out a group test on the ten most popular entry level Laser printers. Working details and comparative output is published. The Epson EPL5800 was given a Highly Commended. The final assessment concluded: “The final award … for the simple reason that it delivered the best quality text printing we’ve seen in this price bracket. Since high-quality text printing is very important in a business environment, the Epson is an attractive SoHo option”

Very recently I have expanded my office activities again and needed another printer. This expansion was based on a small Windows XP professional network and reinstallation of the existing printer stock caused no problem at all. The documentation from EPSON recommends using the EPSON drivers rather than the Windows buolt in ones.