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Can the base 5100 print ordinary A3 with 350 sheets if a real legacy parallel computer setup is acceptable?
Qualifies with earlier references enabled and connection left flexible. The required arrangement is a real parallel host, separately purchased bidirectional IEEE-1284 cable and compatible driver; no USB converter is presumed.
Explore this need in the finder →Can a USB-only computer use the normal base package directly?
Fails an included-USB requirement. The standard interface is parallel, and no optional interface or converter is assumed.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the standard 16-MB base provide PIN-held Letter jobs?
Fails the documented 32-MB minimum for temporary Private Job. Memory expansion is additional hardware and permanent storage needs an optional disk.
Explore this need in the finder →Wide monochrome printing for a prepared parallel computer
The base HP LaserJet 5100 fits a deliberately prepared legacy computer arrangement needing Letter, Legal, A4, A3 or Tabloid monochrome pages. Its included connection is IEEE 1284 parallel, and its normal two-input package holds 350 ordinary sheets. It is a specific earlier setup to verify with a real host, cable and driver before choosing it.
HP's exact US product record identifies Q1860A#ABA and marks the model discontinued. This review covers the original documented low-voltage configuration. It does not promise current availability, a used unit's condition or modern driver support. A normal USB-only computer or an office requiring included Ethernet needs a different established connection arrangement.
The original connection is a practical prerequisite
The original start guide explicitly gives the base 5100 one interface: its parallel port. It specifies an IEEE-1284 bidirectional cable, with the printer turned off during connection. The printer cable is not included. A matching host connector, correctly seated cable and compatible driver are therefore part of this operating plan.
USB and network features appear among optional interface accessories, rather than as standard base ports. This review assumes no USB converter, additional EIO card or Jetdirect server. An empty expansion slot does not satisfy an included-USB or Ethernet requirement. Wireless, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint and Mopria are also unestablished in the reviewed route.
The historical software includes period PCL, PostScript and other computer environments. That source history does not guarantee installation on a present-day system. Test a real document from the actual computer and confirm page size and driver settings before relying on a long production job.
Use both included inputs with the right paper settings
The front multipurpose input holds 100 ordinary sheets, and the lower input holds 250 at the original 20-lb/75-g/m² basis. Actual size support covers Letter, Legal, A4, A3 and 11-by-17-inch Tabloid. The 350-sheet capacity assumes the inputs contain the selected ordinary size; different loaded sizes divide the supply.
The front input uses Letter and A4 long edge toward the printer, while Legal, A3 and Tabloid go short edge toward it. Pull out its support and flip out the second extension for sheets longer than nine inches. Keep paper below the guide tabs, with guides touching without bending it, and avoid loading while the printer is working.
For the lower input, set the size dial and toggle switch, then position the blue rear guide and side guides separately. Turning the dial changes the size sensors rather than moving the guides. Keep all corners flat below the tabs and match driver or panel size/type settings to the actual stack. Its ordinary-media range is 60–105 g/m², distinct from the front's 60–199 range and the nominal count basis.
The optional duplexer and memory upgrade remain optional
Automatic two-sided printing requires the separate duplex accessory, which is absent from the base package. The standard arrangement therefore fails an automatic-duplex requirement. Extra lower inputs and the larger expanded paper arrangement are also additional hardware; the 350-sheet package is what counts here.
The complete original use guide allows temporary Private Job printing in RAM with at least 32 MB installed. The base 5100 has 16 MB, so its standard configuration does not meet that prerequisite. A generic PIN procedure in the family guide is not enough to claim included PIN-held printing. The separate permanent Stored Job feature requires an optional hard disk.
This is print-only hardware, with no document scanner, flatbed, feeder, copier or fax. Neither an engine laser/scanner component nor a management accessory adds document capture.
Handle wide output and envelopes as separate tasks
For long output stacks, extend and adjust the top paper stop. Up to ten suitable envelopes instead use the front input face up, with the postage end toward the front of the tray, away from the engine. Open and extend the rear output for the documented straighter path and select the correct envelope size and type. HP warns against printing both sides of an envelope.
The full-bleed capability also has a concrete limitation: the guide achieves an A3 or Tabloid edge-to-edge finished image by printing on larger paper and trimming it. That is not a promise of borderless output directly on an ordinary finished-size sheet.
Separate declared speed from the installation and load
The original guide declares 21 one-sided Letter pages per minute, separately 22 A4. Its generic 22-ppm configuration introduction does not become Letter speed. The technical sheet gives a 65,000-page maximum monthly duty; no separate recommended monthly range was established. None of these figures is a new test.
The original gives 18.7 inches of width and a 50-pound weight without the cartridge. Body and opening diagrams need care, so a precise closed height is unconfirmed here. Allow rear protrusions, tray and cover access, and the specified ventilation space. Verify the actual 100–127-V, 50/60-Hz plate and exact replacement supply; conflicting original cartridge identifiers and historical yield do not establish remaining toner or current running cost.
Key details at a glance
| Color printing | No |
|---|---|
| Scanner | No |
| Copying | No |
| Fax | No |
| Flatbed scanner | No |
| Automatic document feeder | No |
| Automatic two-sided printing | No |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Supported PIN-release printing | No |
| Maximum monthly duty | 65000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 350 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 21 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 18.7 in |
| Unit-body depth | 22.8 in |
| Unit weight | 50 lb |
| Imaging engine | laser |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Paper, software and setup details
Print-rate conditions
Actual original feature page explicitly declares 21 one-sided Letter ppm, separately 22 A4. Generic configuration introductions say 22 ppm without naming paper size and are not treated as Letter speed. Original technical sheet declares 65,000-page maximum monthly duty; no separate recommended monthly range established. No measured result or duplex speed inferred.
Paper handling
Exact base includes front 100 plus lower 250, total 350 ordinary 20-lb/75-g/m² sheets. Letter, Legal, A4, A3 and Tabloid are supported; full selected-size count assumes both relevant inputs contain it. Front range 60–199 g/m² and lower 60–105; thickness changes capacity. Front Letter/A4 use long edge toward engine, Legal/A3/Tabloid short edge; extend support and second section for long paper. Set lower size dial/toggle switch separately from rear/side guides, keep flat under tabs and match job settings. Optional duplexer and extra inputs excluded. Up to ten front envelopes use face up/postage end toward tray front, rear open and extended. Full-bleed finished pages need larger media and trimming.
Scanning arrangement
The actual original 5100 hardware is a monochrome print-only printer without a document scanner, flatbed, feeder, copy function or fax. The laser/scanner name in technical engine descriptions is not document capture.
Computer and mobile connections
The original base has only IEEE 1284 parallel. A real compatible legacy computer port, bidirectional IEEE-1284 cable and printer driver are required; cable is not included. Connect with printer off. No USB converter, optional USB/EIO interface, Jetdirect Ethernet server or wireless card is assumed. Modern mobile and driverless routes unconfirmed.
Supplies and declared yields
Original technical-sheet ordering lists C4129X; the later original guide ordering instead prints C4129J. This source difference is retained, so verify the exact supply and local compatibility before purchase. The guide declares average 10,000 pages at historical 5% text coverage, print density 3 and EconoMode off. No invented ISO basis, current supplied-cartridge remainder, price or cost per page.
Software and support
The exact base has 16 MB. Original temporary Private Job requires at least 32 MB RAM, so included PIN-held printing does not qualify without a memory upgrade. Permanent Stored Job additionally needs an optional hard disk. Generic RAM-disk controls and the family PIN menu do not establish the missing minimum. Historical computer-driver support is not a present-day compatibility guarantee.
Electrical edition and setup
Exact US Q1860A#ABA identity/discontinued plus documented 100–127-V, 50/60-Hz configuration; inspect actual plate and do not convert separate high-voltage edition. Original width 18.7 inches and depth 22.8 inches including the rear tray projection; 50 lb without cartridge. Exact closed height remains unconfirmed because the guide dimension diagram includes the raised-cover outline. Allow trays, rear output, cartridge and cable access, plus original ventilation allowances of 2.4 inches left and 3.9 right. Inconsistent original brochure metric dimension cells are not used.
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