| Although Hewlett Packard along with Canon in | | | | objections of cost in both marketing and |
| best known for the development and | | | | purchasing departments to the perceived value of |
| popularization of the now common inkjet style of | | | | the early laser printers |
| printing is was Hewlett Packard so to speak who | | | | As noted employees loved the speed and |
| "broke the dam". | | | | management as well as the ever controlling |
| The cultures of both Canon and Hewlett Packard | | | | executive secretaries loved the peace and quiet. |
| were predominantly "Engineer Companies". | | | | Indeed it was both very impressive and |
| Hence the personalities at both ends were able to | | | | intimidating site to both visitors and competitors |
| "speak the other's language "even though there | | | | that such a quiet work area could both so |
| may have been cultural and language barriers of | | | | productive and deadly. |
| sorts. | | | | Along the way printer sharing devices were |
| As well the two groups - Canon and HP were able | | | | commercially introduced to present low cost and |
| to jointly corroborate on the development of the | | | | easily set up (Non LAN) answers to the high cost |
| ubiquitous ink cartridge printers in the same | | | | of laser printing. |
| manner even though in a business sense they it | | | | These printer sharing devices were often so |
| may have been strictly considered competitors .. | | | | advanced in their features and ease of use in |
| There were considerable technical and practical | | | | their print queuing and print spooling capacities that |
| difficulties in the developments of both product | | | | they put the mainframe computer systems of |
| streams. | | | | the day to shame. |
| As engineers the two sides saw the development | | | | Because of the acceptance of this product line |
| as a puzzle to solved, a project to finish to | | | | both 3rd party software and hardware support |
| satisfaction rather than two competitors. | | | | was provided by the progressive vendors of the |
| It is an interesting historical footnote that the HP | | | | time. |
| Inkjet product development was almost | | | | Those by and large are the basis of the features |
| repeatedly killed due to antithesis from an | | | | we take for granted today both in terms of |
| engineer's point of view that that a product (the | | | | Word Processing / office software programs be |
| inkjet cartridges) should be made only to be | | | | they WordPerfect of Microsoft Office or the |
| thrown out in the trash. | | | | widespread use of fonts and supportive device |
| At the time Dot Matrix Printers with a "Daisy | | | | drivers for graphics in the Windows , Macintosh |
| Wheel", which were much like the typewriters of | | | | operating systems among others. |
| the day with an ink ribbon which rolled past the | | | | At an earlier point the sign that you war e dealing |
| paper to replenish itself, were the standard and | | | | with a major corporation or enterprise was that |
| norm? As well color inkjet printers although | | | | the document your received was printed with the |
| available somewhat in different less standardized, | | | | distinctive font of the IBM Electric Typewriter ( |
| less advanced forms were not widely used. | | | | then $ 3,000 or so the price of a car). |
| People in offices liked the new LaserJet printers. | | | | That standard now became the print and feel of |
| They were tired of waiting around for slow, noisy | | | | the then special Laser printers. |
| Dot Matrix printing of their documents. Laser | | | | Since the corporate environment is a very |
| printing was quick, silent and indeed "Magic". | | | | lucrative as well as trend setting focuses of the |
| The first LaserJet's were somewhat expensive at | | | | computer industry it was not long before |
| approximately $ 4000 a machine. | | | | "LaserJet Clones "became available on the |
| However it must be remembered that this was | | | | marketplace. |
| not out of line with the cost of a computer at the | | | | Luckily this spurred on both product development, |
| time. | | | | and ultimately increased market penetration, |
| The LaserJet's were often connected to a | | | | product support and reduced costs. |
| number of computers through early Local Area | | | | Thus the die was set for the major acceptance |
| Networks (LANS). The printer was thus shared | | | | of Laser printers as " The Standard " of Business |
| among a number of computers and the | | | | document presentation and image. |