LaserJet
A family of laser printers from HP. Introduced in 1984 at a price of $3,495, the first LaserJet revolutionized the desktop laser printer market. LaserJets print from 600 to 1200 dpi, and PCL is HP's native printer command language.
LaserJets have built-in scalable fonts and also accept bitmapped fonts from the computer (soft fonts). They also offer PostScript emulation. Earlier models used plug-in cartridges, and PostScript was an option until native models were introduced in 1992 (LaserJet 4).
In 1994, HP launched its first color LaserJet, using an enhanced PCL 5 language. At $7,295, it printed 2 ppm in color and 10 ppm in black and white. Over the years, subsequent models gained much higher speeds with prices dipping well below $1,000 after the turn of the century. See laser printer and PCL.
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| The First LaserJet |
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| In 1984, the first LaserJet was introduced at a retail price of $3,495. Although noisier than today's models, its ruggedness and reliability launched a revolution in desktop laser printing. (Image courtesy of Hewlett-Packard Company.) |