laser-lovers@uw-beaver (laser-lovers) (11/04/84)
From: ihnp4!utzoo!henry@uw-beaver.arpa > Does anyone know of a troff (i.e. CAT) filter to drive > the HP Laserjet printer? Or perhaps a ditroff back-end for it? > Or any other similar S/W for it? Seems like a reasonable unit. Given that the LaserJet CANNOT do typesetting simulation -- it does not have the fonts, the download capability, or the raster memory -- any good daisywheel-printer filter should drive it nearly as well as it can be driven.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (laser-lovers) (11/08/84)
From: cornell!vax135!houxm!hou2g!mlr@uw-beaver.arpa HP has just paid a visit to use last week, and they were showing a photo typesetter package for the HP Laser printer. It is made by TEXTWARE International P.O. Box 14 Harvard Square, Cambridge,Ma 02238 (617)UNI-TEXT It works with troff and can do all kinds of fonts and equations.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (laser-lovers) (11/13/84)
From: kg%hplabs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa > Does anyone know of a troff (i.e. CAT) filter to drive > the HP Laserjet printer? Or perhaps a ditroff back-end for it? Reply from: yenbut@uw-beaver > Given that the LaserJet CANNOT do typesetting simulation -- it does > not have the fonts, the download capability, or the raster memory -- > any good daisywheel-printer filter should drive it nearly as well as > it can be driven. Au contraire, mon frere: 1. The LaserJet *can* do typeseting simulation... And quite well too. I think the qulity is better than the Xerox 2700. 2. It has a number of variable width fonts. 3. It has (limited) raster memory. 4. Running it with daisywheel-printer software would be a waste of an exceptional printer! Ditroff software is available for the LaserJet from ELAN Computer Group, (415) 948-8193.
laser-lovers@uw-beaver (laser-lovers) (11/14/84)
From: allegra!utzoo!henry@uw-beaver.arpa > > Given that the LaserJet CANNOT do typesetting simulation -- it does > > not have the fonts, the download capability, or the raster memory -- > > any good daisywheel-printer filter should drive it nearly as well as > > it can be driven. > > Au contraire, mon frere: > 1. The LaserJet *can* do typeseting simulation... And quite well > too. I think the qulity is better than the Xerox 2700. > 2. It has a number of variable width fonts. > 3. It has (limited) raster memory. > 4. Running it with daisywheel-printer software would be a waste > of an exceptional printer! Ditroff software is available > for the LaserJet from ELAN Computer Group, (415) 948-8193. Au contraire encore: 1. Try printing a page with a big enough mix of non-ROM fonts and you'll discover it can't do *full* typesetting simulation. It can do typesetting simulation moderately well *provided* that most of the characters on the page are ones found in its ROM fonts. The decidedly-limited nature of the ROM fonts is the problem. 2. It has a number of variable width fonts, all right, but the ones we've tested so far look terrible. And bear in mind that "a number" means "five" right now -- unless you have access to unannounced font cartridges -- whereas 20 or 30 is more like what you need to do justice to serious eqn work. 3. I didn't say it doesn't have raster memory, I said it doesn't have the raster memory it needs to do typesetting simulation. It has enough raster memory for a few hundred characters per page, which is about a factor of 5 short of what is really needed. 4. I agree it's an exceptional printer, especially at the price. And we may well buy the ELAN software; we're certainly going to look into the possibility. (Hint: I'm sure many readers on this list would like technical details, and perhaps a vague notion of price.) But an Imagen is still very high on our wishlist, for good reason. If we could only download fonts into the LaserJet... Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry [[Editor's note. I received a complaint about the "Au contraire" message, noting that the writer worked for HP and asking if the message didn't constitute "advertising." I don't think it was a problem in this case but let me ask those people who work for companies making laser printers to please explicitely indicate this if it appears that charges of "conflict of interest" might result. I'm not saying that you should avoid posting messages. We are, of course, quite pleased to be receiving messages from people working at these companies.]]