HP DeskJet 500 C2106A Inkjet Printer Serial Parallel 300 DPI 51608A Windows

HP DeskJet 500 C2106A Inkjet Printer Serial Parallel 300 DPI 51608A Windows

The HP DeskJet 500 (model C2106A) is a desktop inkjet printer producing black-and-grayscale output at 300 DPI on plain paper. It connects to a host computer via either a Centronics 36-pin parallel port or a DB-25 serial port, making it compatible with both DOS and Windows PC environments. This unit was manufactured on June 21, 1993, in the United States. Note: no power cord is included.

Specifications & What's Included

• Make / Model: Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 500
• Part Number: C2106A
• Secondary Part Number: US36L1S0CW
• Print Technology: Inkjet
• Print Color: Black / Grayscale only
• Print Resolution: 300 DPI (Best Quality and Draft modes selectable)
• Interfaces: Centronics 36-pin parallel port + DB-25 serial port (both present on rear panel)
• Compatible Ink Cartridge: HP 51608A
• Compatible OS: DOS, Windows
• Form Factor: Desktop
• Country of Manufacture: United States
• FCC ID: B94C2106X
• Manufacture Date: June 21, 1993
• Front-panel controls: FF, FONT, MODE, ON LINE buttons; PRIME and RESET keys; status LEDs (BUSY, ON LINE, DRAFT, COUR 10/20, COUR 16.67)
• Included: Printer only — no power cord, ink cartridge, or interface cables

Applications

The HP DeskJet 500 was one of Hewlett-Packard's early mass-market personal inkjet printers, introduced around 1991 and manufactured into the early 1990s. It was designed for home and small-office use with IBM PC-compatible systems running DOS or early versions of Windows, and was among the first inkjet printers to make 300 DPI plain-paper output broadly affordable. The dual serial/parallel interface made it flexible for connection to a wide range of PC configurations of the era. The DeskJet 500 series — including the 500C color variant — was widely used in offices, schools, and homes throughout the early 1990s. Today these printers are sought by vintage computing enthusiasts running period-correct DOS or Windows 3.x setups, and by collectors restoring early-1990s PC workstations. The HP 51608A black ink cartridge it uses is still available through various surplus and specialty channels.