INK & TONER
HP LaserJet 5 Review
 
Editor's Review
HP LaserJet 5 by Mel Meyers 08/25/2010 OVERVIEW: Introduced in March 1996, the LaserJet 5 was the enhanced follow-up to the LaserJet 4Plus (not to be confused with the LaserJet 4P). Using the new PCL 5e driver, the LaserJet 5 provided improved printer language support and memory optimization to handle large print files. A second paper cassette, additional memory, and a 75-envelope feeder are options to increase the LaserJet’s business productivity.
Editor's Pros & Cons
PROS: The 37-pound LaserJet 5 connected directly to a computer workstation, containing 2MB of RAM. HP also sold a 5se model--which was really just a LaserJet 5 with a floppy containing some bonus software.
Shortly after its release, HP doubled the amount of memory on the HP LaserJet 5 from 2MB to 4MB. Three SIMM slots allow you to add up to 66MB of memory. Even if one chooses not to increase the default memory, the LaserJet 5 has firmware called Memory Enhancement technology (MEt) to optimize the memory to handle larger print jobs or complex pages.
The LaserJet 5 comes standard with a 250-sheet cassette tray, capable of supporting 20-pound letter or legal-size paper. The flip-door reveals a 100-sheet multi-purpose tray that can handle transparencies, labels, post cards, envelopes, 3” x 5” postcards up to 8.5" x 14” legal paper of various bond weights.
The LaserJet prints at 12 pages per minute, at normal resolution. At 600 x 600 dpi resolution, the LaserJet 5 keeps text sharp. HP’s Resolution Enhancement smoothes curves and edges to improve image quality beyond the typical 600 dpi. The 120 levels of gray allow for clarity with graphic images. The LaserJet 5 comes with a Draft Mode to conserve on ink, and a Power Save feature to conserver on electricity.
The control panel, with a 16-character display and six function keys make setting and troubleshooting easier than later laser printers using only a single button and indicator lights. This control configuration became the mainstay of HP’s business laser printers for over a decade. The LaserJet 5 requires direct connection to a computer via its parallel or RS-232 serial ports. For wireless printing, the printer has a built in infrared sensor HP called FastIR. It was a good idea at the time, but the need for the IR to have line-of-sight, and the later introduction of the more flexible IEEE 802.11 wi-fi, rendered FastIR obsolete. The LaserJet 5 comes with PCL 5e and PCL 6 emulation. PostScript can be added by inserting a PostScript SIMM. CONS: Something to watch out for during the life of the printer are the pickup rollers. These rollers can be easily misaligned during a paper jam, and will either glaze or develop cracks over time. The User’s Guide does give step-by-step instruction on how to replace the rollers, but a person who’s not mechanically inclined may want to decline from trying this.
The printer really dates itself with its printing speed. Maxing at 12 pages per minute, the 1996 LaserJet 5 is overshadowed by faster printers currently on the market. Just remember that all manufacturer listed print speeds are based on letter-size paper—legal size and the complexity of the fill will take longer.
INK/TONER NEEDS:
While lagging in speed the LaserJet 5 has some of the largest toner capacity for a printer of it’s size. A standard size cartridge can print up to 6,000 pages before replacement. For really heavy printing, 8800 and 10,000-page cartridges are available.
If your business intends to use this printer in Payroll--specifically for check printing, a special 8,800-page Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) toner cartridge is available. This is the type of printing where you want to have a printer directly cabled to the computer for security and not seen through a network. 
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DEVELOPER
