Review of CrystalPrint WP Page Printer
                     Copyright 1988 by David W. Batterson

     The growth of page printer sales has been remarkable, and will continue to
increase over the years as the technology advances and prices drop.
     Page printers are printers which use the technologies of ink jet, thermal
transfer, laser, liquid crystal shutter (LCS), light emitting diode (LED)
array, and ion-deposition.  Such printers reproduce both graphics and text in
high resolution, generally 300 dots per inch (dpi) or higher.
     Most page printers are compatible with the H-P LaserJet series and/or
Apple LaserWriters, and their respective page descriptive languages, PCL and
PostScript.  They also generally emulate popular character printers like Epson
and Diablo.
     Qume Corporation has paired up with Casio Computer Co., Ltd.  The
printer uses Casio's LCS printer engine and a Qume controller.
     Unlike a laser printer which uses a rotating mirror, this LCS printer has
no scanning distortion, and uses fewer moving parts.  With the LCS technology,
the light source shines onto the assembly of liquid crystal shutters, causing
selected light to pass through the lens and onto the drum.
     Thus the CrystalPrint WP is what some call a "laser class" printer, like
NEC's Silentwriter series of LED-array page printers.
     One major advantage of the CrystalPrint WP is its size (or "footprint," a
term I get tired of seeing).  It measures 15.7" x 13.4" x 9.1".  Thus it's
almost 20 percent smaller than the H-P DeskJet, and about 50 percent smaller
than the H-P LaserJet Series II.  Weight is around 35 pounds.
     According to Qume, the H-P DeskJet (an ink jet printer which is a few
hundred dollars cheaper) is "12 times slower" than a six-page-per-minute
printer like the CrystalPrint.  The WP has a suggested list of $1,299 which
should discount to under $1000, while the DeskJet can be purchased at some
places for around $700 at this time.
     The WP is not really meant for intensive desktop publishing, like its
"bigger brother," the CrystalPrint Series II.  It is meant primarily for
printing 300 dpi output of word processing and spreadsheet files.  The WP
emulates the Diablo 630 ECS, and is compatible with all word processing and
spreadsheet software.
     Optional cartridges provide emulation of the Epson FX-85, IBM ProPrinter
II and H-P LaserJet Plus.  Optional cartridge fonts include Prestige Elite,
Times Roman, Helvetica, Presentation Helvetica and Letter Gothic.  Also
optional is an increase to 256K memory (from standard 128K); this is required
for the printer emulation options.
     The standard font is Medium Courier (regular or bold), 12 point and 10
characters per inch in size.
     The paper tray holds 100 sheets of standard 8 1/2" x 11" paper; optional
trays are available for legal, DIN A4 and DIN B5 paper sizes.  The drum has a
rated life of 10,000 pages, while a toner set will last about 6,000 pages (with
5% coverage).  If you do extensive graphics printing, you'll use up toner much
faster.  Three toner packs are provided.
     Warm-up time is about 30 seconds, with a maximum of 24 seconds to first
print.  Once it starts printing, you get six pages per minute output.
     Unpacking and setup did not take a lot of time.  You remove the protective
spacers, and then install the toner unit.  Next add toner (no muss or fuss!),
the waste toner bottle, fuser cleaner and drum.  The illustrated manual is
clear and concise.
     The control panel is well-designed, carefully explained, and easy to use. 
Like your office copier machine, the CrystalPrint WP has "operator attention
messages" (number codes), such as: out of paper, replace toner, paper jam,
printer cover open, replace drum, and so forth.
     So how is the WP's printing quality?  I would have to give it an excellent
rating overall.  Type fonts print out crisp, dark and clean.
     If you're in the market for a laser-class printer and have a limited
budget, this might be just what you're looking for.
     For more information, contact:  Qume Corporation, 500 Yosemite Ave.,
Milpitas, CA  95035; 408-942-4000, FAX: 408-942-4052.
                                     #
David W. Batterson writes computer articles, reviews and commentary, and does
editing and desktop publishing for various clients.