So Many Choices

[airbourne]

I have always wondered, what is the difference anyway with all the different printer types. Example:

HP Printers:
8100, 8100n, 4050, 4100n, 6, 6p, 6mp

What do those letters mean?

Also, what is the impact on printing if I were to use the lowest common denominator print driver.

Example, 3 users have a LJ (laserjet) 6, 6p & 6mp. All running windows 2000. If I just use the LJ 6 drivers for all, what are the possible negative side effects?

Say 1 of the users is on 98 and using the 6MP and I download the 98 print driver for a LJ6. And I use the LJ6 driver for 2000 on the 2000 machines.

This is probably a very easy question for the printer guru's, but I have a company that has gone spastic on purchasing printers and we have 23 different brands of printers floating around an office with 150 or so people. Just don't want to have to download 138 printer drivers (2000 & 98 + PCL5, PCL6 & PS).

Last question of the group: For printing purposes what is the best driver, PCL5, PCL6 or PS. I am concerned only with being able to print in most cases. Of course printers that have special requirements or special printing features, I would get the specific drivers for them. But what about Joe Executive that must have a printer in his office.

 

[diogenes10]

http://h20015.www2.hp.com/hub_search/document.jhtml?lc=en&docName=bpo00141&cc=us

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_doc/bpl04568.html

Two information sheets-maybe they'll help a little.

 

[airbourne]

They do help. This gives me enough information to make an educated choice on what drivers to download for which printers.

Thank you. =)