HP LaserJet 1200 USB

[chaddeus]

There is USB and Parallel Port. First, is the USB port v2.0 or the older v1.1? When I try printing, it seems that the speed of the USB port is the same as the speed of the Parallel Port and I bought a USB cable!! Damm..

- Charles

 

[dullard]

I've got that same printer. In my testing, as well as testing I once saw on CNET, the printer actually prints faster with the parallel cable. The printer came out long before USB 2.0 was fully developed. Thus it must use USB 1.1.

Since the parallel cable has more bandwidth than USB 1.1, I can see why I get faster printing with the parallel cable.

Edit: the printing is only slightly faster (about 1 page/min). USB does have an advantage that it uses less of your CPU time than parallel, so if you run CPU intensive programs at the same time you print, you will get better results with USB.

 

[Viper GTS]

Couple things you need to realize:

1) Parallel has a higher bandwidth potential than USB 1.x.
2) If the printer prints at the same speed on either interface, the limiting factor is obviously the print engine speed, not the interface speed. A faster connection (ie 100 BaseT network) would not make the printer physically print faster.

The port is USB 1.x as far as I know.

Viper GTS

 

[chaddeus]

Humm.. Though decision.. Which one should I choose? Maybe I should just return the USB cable and get the Parallel Port cable.

- Charles

 

[chaddeus]

Damm.. FOr all my life, I had been thinking that USB is faster than Parallel Port. Then I went to check the port speed, it says USB, 12Mbit/s while Parallel Port is 24Mbits/sec..

- Charles

 

[dullard]

Common mistake. Very, very common. I've been laughed at and humiliated on this forum for suggesting that USB has less bandwidth than parallel. That was, until some nice member gave me some links that show that ECP parallel has more bandwidth. I'd stick with the USB since it is easier to use the printer on different computers. Soon parallel ports will die out, far before USB ports. Thus maybe you will need the USB cable with your next computer upgrade.