laser-lovers@uw-beaver (08/11/85)
From: Carl Hewitt <Hewitt@MIT-XX.arpa> Has anyone had any experience trying to use a LaserWriter with an IBM PC/XT/AT or clone? Are their any other laser printers for these machines which can produce bitmap images? Thanks, Carl
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (08/14/85)
From: adobe!shore@Glacier (Andrew Shore) Ann Robinson, Adobe Systems' Marketing Support Manager, has the most experience with LaserWriters connected to PCs. She offers the following information: We've been using a LaserWriter with an IBM-XT and Compaq, and I know of others using LaserWriters with IBM-ATs. It can run from any computer with a 9600 baud RS-232 port. The only problem I've had is that the LaserWriter uses an XON/XOFF protocol which is not standardly supported in DOS, but many software packages will do the XON/XOFF if you print to COM1: instead of LPT1: If I just want to print an ascii file to the printer I use the SUPERSPOOL spooler that came with my AST card because it will do XON/XOFF properly. To make the connection from a 25-pin connector you need a cable with a "null modem". To connect an AT, you can get a 9-pin to 25-pin adapter and then the null modem. Once connected, you can send any PostScript file to the printer. If you are looking for applications that produce PostScript, there is a growing number of packages that run on IBMs that support PostScript printers. Since Adobe doesn't sell any of them, I'll take the liberty of listing some of them: Microsoft Word 2.0, Scenic Writer from Scenic Software, GEM (new release scheduled this month) from DRI, DO-IT from Studio Software, Microsoft Chart 2.0 (to be released next month), TeX from Personal TeX (to be released soon). [Appropriate trademark notices apply.] Adobe Systems Incorporated