University Library receives three new laser printers

By Hilary Strickland, On-Line Forty-Niner

Tuesday, September 9, 1998

Three new $3,500 laser printers were purchased for the University Library basement computer lab, replacing two six-year-old models. Two were installed in August and one is waiting for installation.

"The printers were purchased to improve service to the students and to improve the print quality of the pages being printed," said Fred Neely, director of the University Bookstore, the purchaser of the printers.

The new printers are Hewlett-Packard P8000 laser printers that print 24 pages a minute. The previous printers were dot matrix and printed 10-15 pages a minute. With the new printers, the wait for printouts will be cut almost in half.

The newer and faster printers do not mean a price increase as the cost will remain at 20 cents a page.

Students who wish to utilize the computer lab and printers pay for the pages by using a Beach Club card or by purchasing a copy card said Sharon Grant, information technology consultant. Copy cards may also be used to pay for copies at any of the on-campus copy machines.

Other recent additions to the computer lab include 24 Compaq Presario 200 MHz Pentium II desktop computers, lab consultant Shaun Aceves said.

The replaced printers have been sent back to the Bookstore to await evaluation.

"If the printers are found to be obsolete, they will be disposed of," said Roman Gulon, acting general manager of the Forty Niner Shops Inc.

If the printers are still usable, they will be given to a campus department in need.

The replaced printers cost about $500 six years ago, Neely said.