laser-lovers@uw-beaver (09/04/85)
From: bierma@nprdc.arpa (Larry Bierma) Gees, a couple of weeks ago I sent out a simple little note about rumors of QMS withdrawing their PostScript printers hoping to get confirmation or denials. Respones nada! Yesterday I send a flame about QMS's distributor (Group III) retracting their bid on my order for a 1200A. Yumpin yimminies did I get hate mail. A little history first. A long time ago someone (not me) posted a note about rumors that QMS was dropping their PS printers. A few phone calls (and net responses) seemed to put that rumor to rest so I submitted an order for a 1200A PS printer. About two weeks ago the Group III salesman dropped by and said that QMS had stopped production of the PS printers temporarily and that he couln't promise a quick delivery but he would bid on the order because QMS was still in the PS business. At that point I sent a note to the net asking what other people knew. Apparently nothing since there were no reply. Yesterday I found out the Group III had indeed submitted a bid, but then withdrew it because "the product is no longer available". Arrgghhh!! I could see the money flushing down the end-of-fiscal-year toilet. Nothing left to do but flame on the net and hope for new information. So here's what I've learned: The old QMS postscript printers are no longer being made or sold but will continue to be supported. The reason for pulling them off the market was slow performance. QMS is developing replacements using the new "Redstone Controller". The cannon based version is due out in beta test this month (any beta testers out there?). The xp-12 based version is due out "by the end of the year" for beta testing. QMS will continue supporting the 800/1200A's in the feild and will at a later date provide some means of upgrading the older machines to the newer controllers. Whew! Why didn't they just say that in the first place. Other machines? Well, Dataproducts sells a machine based on the toshiba marking engine. The claim 26 pages per minute for plain text, they didn't say how much it slowed down if you try some of the more complicated things. They only sell to OEMS (this must be waht Apollo sells) but they quoted a single quantity price of $20,900. My problems with Group III were mostly caused by one particular sales representative. I'm now working with someone else, hopefully he knows what he is doing. --Larry <bierma@nprdc.arpa>