EX PARTS CATALOG

Information for
New Catalog Users

Quick Scroll

• About EX-Based Laser Printers
• Navigating the Catalog
• Ordering and Checking Your Shopping Cart

About EX-Based Laser Printers

The EX engine, as used in the HP LaserJet 4, was a landmark product that helped HP continue its dominance of the laser printer business. At the time it was introduced many companies were offering enhanced SX-based machines that promised either better print quality or faster page processing than the LaserJet III. These companies included LaserMaster, QMS, and Xante, and their products typically sold for for $3,000 or more. All of them used special controller electronics to boost the standard 300/400 dpi of the SX engine to a pseudo 600 dpi or higher. The EX offers true 600 dpi, which is noticeably better than the SX's 300/400 dpi. The LaserJet 4 had a street price of only $1,400 for a PCL printer and $1,900 for a PostScript version. The LaserJet 4 also featured an Intel i960 RISC processor, which is much faster than the 68000 used in the HP III. Suddenly the game of making a better-than-HP laser printer game was over... HP had won the battle. To stay in business, the other companies had to move into market other areas, like high-speed, large format, or large format color printing. The EX is the third generation of medium-sized general purpose laser printers in the series that began with the 8 ppm CX engines used in the orignal LaserJet. The CX was replaced by the SX, and the SX was replaced by the EX. The HP Printers in this class are those without an extra letter in the model name (i.e., LaserJet, LaserJet II, LaserJet III, LaserJet 4, LaserJet 5). Apple also used each generation from Canon, beginning with the LaserWriter (CX), LaserWriter II (SX), and LaserWriter 630 (EX).

Canon EX-engine based laser printers (Go to Printer Models Table)

Select hot items to see individual data sheet and photo.

Apple: LaserWriter Pro 600 and LaserWriter Pro 630

Canon: LaserShot LBP-A304G II, LBP-1260 (EX-II), LBP-8 Mark IV, LBP-860

DECLaser: 5100

Hewlett-Packard: LaserJet 4, 4M, 4 Plus, and 4M Plus; LaserJet 5, 5M, 5N

Siemens: 4281

The EX engine offers improved paper handling over its predecessors. The standard printer has a MP (Multi-Purpose) tray and a 250-sheet cassette. The MP tray can be opened out and used for occasionally printed items, such as check stock, letterhead, odd-sized pieces of paper, or envelopes. The standard paper source is an integral 250 sheet cassette. A letter-sized or A4-cassette is standard, and an optional universal cassette is available, which can be adjusted to fit Letter, A4, Executive, and Legal paper sizes. All EX-based printers are designed to work with an optional 500-sheet cassette feeder, and power envelope feeders, which can hold about 75 envelopes.

The EX-II printers, such as the HP LaserJet 4 Plus and the LaserJet 5, can also have a duplex option installed for automatic two-sided printing.

All of the above optional EX accessories are priced much lower than those created for the earlier SX, TX, and RX engines.

Connectivity is another area where the LaserJet 4, LaserJet 4 Plus, and LaserJet 5 shine. All EX-based LaserJets have both serial and bi-directional parallel interfaces, plus an MIO slot. The MIO slot is usually used for network cards, but there are many other third-party sharing devices and other interfaces that allow OEMs to use the printer for special dedicated applications.

Navigating the Catalog

• The EX Parts Catalog is one of a series of catalogs being constructed by The Printer Works at this site. The white buttons at the top of the page are links to the rest of the series or back to the Catalog Selection page.

• The Colored buttons (found at top and bottom of every page) let you move about within the EX Catalog itself. Go to the Contents page, move forward or backward one page, flip two pages in either direction, get Ordering information.

• You can access any of the EX Assembly Diagrams from the Contents page. If you do not know the name of a parts assembly, but you do know where it is in the printer, try the Assembly Location Diagrams. Warning: these diagrams may take a long time to download the first time.

• Each Diagram Page contains a graphic representation of the assembly and a table of part numbers, descriptions, and compatibility. Many also contain pertinent information about the various printer models, which is found below the parts table. Note: Some of the diagrams are large and take a while to download the first time.

• In every Parts Table, you can select any part number to learn the item's price, whether there are compatible alternates available, and for an opportunity to place the item in your electronic "shopping cart".

• Access a Text Only version of this catalog, including parts tables, by using the buttons at top and bottom of this Welcome page, from the Table of Contents, or from the Parts Table heading on each Diagram page.

• You can always return to our Home Page by selecting the blue and white logo at the top of any page.

Need more input? Click on the button to the left. Our Help page covers everything from what the buttons are are for to tips on searching.

Ordering and Checking Your Shopping Cart

Clicking on the colored Ordering Info/Policies button at the top and bottom of any catalog page gives you a page containing detailed information on how The Printer Works handles on-line orders. The Ordering Information page also contains a shopping cart link you can use to check your current order if you have been shopping. The shopping cart checker link also appears on catalog Contents pages, on the Current Specials page, and on pages that are generated during the ordering process.

The catalog pages are best viewed with Netscape 4.x.
Note: Some of the diagrams are large and take awhile to download the first time.
You can also select a TEXT ONLY version.