laser-lovers@uw-beaver (02/07/85)
From: Brian Reid <reid@Glacier> I worked as a consultant for Xerox for about 2 years on the Interpress project. During that time I signed several carefully-worded nondisclosure agreements. At the end of the two years I just couldn't take the sluggishness and small-mindedness of the Xerox product organization any longer, and quit that consulting relationship. Xerox was never willing to let me have copies of the Interpress documents, even the ones I wrote, and they have a long history of throwing various corporate tantrums involving secrecy and computers, and more recently involving people who once worked for Xerox but do not any more. Two weeks ago I told a correspondent from Xerox that I would refrain from commenting publicly on Interpress and PostScript until I got written clarification from them that the nondisclosure agreements I signed are no longer in force. Naturally this letter, like the oft-promised copies of the manuals I wrote, never came. In view of the rambling marketing-ese that Jerry Mendelson has sent to the net recently that very much confuses the issue of Interpress and PostScript, I would like to announce that I will in the next week or so write a careful comparison of Interpress (in all of its various unimplemented and developmental subsets and versions, as best I can reconstruct them from memory) and PostScript (one version, completely implemented). Because these Xerox guys play hardball, I don't want to make this comparison a one-night hip shot, but I want to make sure that the worthy people who read the laser-lovers distribution do not believe without questioning everything that a marketing person from any company, even Xerox, tells them. Maybe in the intervening time I will send out a short explanation of what a cache is, and how it works, and how a performance measurement should be made of a system that employs a cache. The font cache on the Apple LaserWriter (a PostScript printer) is bigger than the entire main memory of the Xerox Dandelion computer driving the Xerox 8044 printer costing 4 times as much. Let me close by tossing in the remark that PostScript is to Interpress as C is to Ada.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (02/08/85)
From: McBain.es@XEROX.ARPA Brian Reid was understandably miffed when, as an assistant professor at Stanford, he did a technical writing job for Xerox which, for business reasons, Xerox chose to keep temporarily private, thereby frustrating Brian's publish or perish search for tenure. Now that he takes money from Adobe he seems to have found an opportunity to square the grievance however real or imagened it may be. The work of which he speaks, 'Introduction to Interpress', is public and is available as a part of the well publicized package which Xerox sells for $250. The technical writing is excellent. Brian's name appears on the inside cover below that of Robert F. Sproull, reflecting traditional academic relationships. No need to proselytize for Xerox here. Nor any need to take the conclusions of someone who is on the payroll of either outfit. The public nature of the work, the general availability from both Xerox and Adobe make it possible for all who choose to do so, to form their own opinions about the relationship of these two printing languages. Brian's fine wordsmithing in the Introduction will make your job easier. It also makes clear that anyone who wishes may buy the material and discuss its contents. Even Brian Reid. Can anyone seriously believe that, having made the information public, Xerox would have a significant interest in muzzling Prof. Reid in particular? C'mon now.
manis@ubc-cs.UUCP (Vince Manis) (02/10/85)
I don't want to do a hatchet job on Xerox, but I've seen enough over the years to make me suspect that Brian's account might have some truth to it. I think particularly of the difficulty our Computing Centre has had in getting detailed technical information on the 9700, for implementing TeX. Xerox tends to want non-disclosure agreements signed even before admitting the existence of documentation. I also remember an incident about 10 years ago when a lawyer at PARC decided that BCPL was a Xerox proprietary product. In any case, I'm delighted that Xerox has released InterPress, and would appreciate a posting indicating where Canadian customers can order a copy. I will pass that information on to our Computing Centre people. I'm also looking forward to seeing Brian's comparison of the two languages.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (02/12/85)
From: Vincent Manis <ubc-vision!cs.ubc.cdn!manis@uw-beaver.arpa> Organization: UBC Department of Computer Science I don't want to do a hatchet job on Xerox, but I've seen enough over the years to make me suspect that Brian's account might have some truth to it. I think particularly of the difficulty our Computing Centre has had in getting detailed technical information on the 9700, for implementing TeX. Xerox tends to want non-disclosure agreements signed even before admitting the existence of documentation. I also remember an incident about 10 years ago when a lawyer at PARC decided that BCPL was a Xerox proprietary product. In any case, I'm delighted that Xerox has released InterPress, and would appreciate a posting indicating where Canadian customers can order a copy. I will pass that information on to our Computing Centre people. I'm also looking forward to seeing Brian's comparison of the two languages.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (02/19/85)
From: Richard Furuta <Furuta@WASHINGTON.ARPA>
I believe that this is of general interest, given the recent discussion.
I'm very glad to see that Xerox has made their documentation more
accessible.
--Rick
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Date: Mon, 18 Feb 85 16:41 PST
From: Bhushan.pa@XEROX.ARPA
Subject: Re: PostScript and Interpress
In-reply-to: 205:manis@cs.ubc.cdn
To: ubc-vision!ubc-cs!manis.ARPA@XEROX.ARPA (vince manis)
cc: Furuta@WASHINGTON.ARPA, Bhushan.pa@XEROX.ARPA
[Rick: You may forward it to Laser-Lovers for general information - AKB]
This is in response to your request for a posting indicating where and
how to order a copy of the Interpress standard:
Because of recent interest in the Interpress Printing Standard, Xerox is
now making available for $50 a set of three Interpress-related
documents. This set includes the Interpress standard itself, as well as
an introductory tutorial and a reader's guide.
Formerly, this package was available only in a set of 12 documents for
$250 that also includes all of the published standards and protocols
that make up Xerox Network Systems architecture. That package of 12
documents continues to be available.
Xerox also offers classes, implementation aids, and consulting services
in support of Interpress. To obtain any of the document packages
mentioned in this message, or to obtain more information about support
services for Interpress and other available documents, please contact:
Dennis Frahmann,
Manager, Protocols Marketing, Xerox Corporation
2100 Geng Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
(415)-496-6088
Orders for documents should include payment.
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