mjp@spice.cs.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) (12/13/86)
Keywords: Could someone please tell me whether or not PageSetter is available *now*, the publisher's address, and how much it costs? I have a friend that does a lot of C hacking for a business that sells industrial solvents and other boring products of the type. They have to put together a catalog of their current offeings. Basically, they want to: 1) Use a video camera connected to a frame grabber to digitize a photo of the product in question. 2) Use a "desktop publishing" program to lay out a page for the catalog that includes the digital image along with a textual description (using different typefaces and sizes). 3) Print this on some output device (does NOT have to be a LaserWriter...they'd be satisfied with an Epson) to produce the output for each page in the manual. Obviously, the Mac has programs to do exactly this, and the Thunderscan hardware and software can be obtained rather cheaply. However, they don't want to pay the price tag for a Mac. They tried an ST (on loan) with some package that a dealer supplied but it didn't have the right combination of features. The Amiga wasn't even in consideration since it just didn't have the software to do the job. Right now they plan to purchase the ST as soon as this company comes out with a new version of their software. A reconditioned Amiga from Micro-World (about $1000) combined with the Digi-View digitizer and a desk-top publishing program would really suit their needs. If someone supplies me with information about PageSetter I might be able to abort the purchase of an ST. -- +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Mike Portuesi | | Carnegie-Mellon University Computer Science Department | | | | ARPA: mjp@spice.cs.cmu.edu | | UUCP: {harvard | seismo | ucbvax | decwrl}!spice.cs.cmu.edu!mjp | | | | "Talking about music is like dancing about architecture" | | --Laurie Anderson, "Home of the Brave" | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
eric@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Eric Lavitsky) (12/14/86)
Yeah - PageSetter is available now - my dealer is expecting several in from the distributor next week - The software is nice, I have played with it (dang VT100 isn't letting me type periods in here!) If you want to find it, I suggest you call them at 416-828-0913, ask for Becky Ashwell (you'll probably get her by default, and please tell her where you got her number) and see if she can get you the name of a distributor in your area that has it - Then, call that distributor and find the nearest store that will have it Good Luck, Eric PS - Mike, I haven't forgotten about you - I'm sending the material out Monday! -- ARPA: LAVITSKY@RUTGERS or LAVITSKY@RED.RUTGERS.EDU UUCP: ...topaz!eric ...hplabs!well!lavitsky ...ulysses!eric
daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (12/16/86)
> Keywords: > > Could someone please tell me whether or not PageSetter is available > *now*, the publisher's address, and how much it costs? I've got a copy of it, which I picked up at the World of Commodore show in Toronto. The company is "The Gold Disk", P.O. Box 789, Streetsville, Ontario L5M 2C2. They don't have a US distributer yet last I talked to them, though you should be able to order direct from them. Their price at the show was around $190.00 Canadian, which is probably somewhere around $150.00 US $$$. Their number is (416) 828-0913. > they want to: > 1) Use a video camera connected to a frame grabber to digitize > a photo of the product in question. No problem, use Digiview, digitize to an IFF image. You can pull most IFF images into the PageSetter, I think it normally handles 640x200 or 320x200 images. There only cover part of a page, though, I've been able to very easily create a larger image by overlaying smaller sections. The program give you very fine control of the position of any image. > > 2) Use a "desktop publishing" program to lay out a page for > the catalog that includes the digital image along with a > textual description (using different typefaces and sizes). Should work with no problem at all, here. PageSetter can use any Amiga font. It comes only with the standard Amiga supplied fonts. But there are at least 2 commercial font collections (Zuma, one other), plus various public domain collections that might be useful. The program will allow you to adjust the attributes of any font, to result in bold, underlined, italic, boxed, shadowed, and possibly other styles. And of course, the Font Editor in 1.2 can be used to create your own, if you've got any special needs. > 3) Print this on some output device (does NOT have to be a > LaserWriter...they'd be satisfied with an Epson) to produce > the output for each page in the manual. The current PageSetter works with any standard Amiga supported printer, which basically means anything you can write a Preferences selected driver for. The Gold Disk folks out at the show were using a laser printer that emulates an Epson dot-matrix, and its output looked very nice. > > Right now they plan to purchase the ST as soon as this company comes > out with a new version of their software. Big mistake, buy the Amiga! > A reconditioned Amiga from Micro-World (about $1000) combined with the > Digi-View digitizer and a desk-top publishing program would really > suit their needs. If someone supplies me with information about > PageSetter I might be able to abort the purchase of an ST. Wanna know anything else, lemme know. Or call Commodore, in West Chester, and ask for Dave Haynie if you're in a hurry (though I'm often easier to reach via computer). Mike Portuesi Carnegie-Mellon University Computer Science Department -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave Haynie {caip,ihnp4,allegra,seismo}!cbmvax!daveh "Laws to supress tend to strengthen what they would prohibit. This is the fine point on which all the legal professions of history have based their job security." -Bene Gesserit Coda These opinions are my own, though for a small fee they may be yours too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
higgin@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Paul Higginbottom GUEST) (12/17/86)
In article <1106@spice.cs.cmu.edu> mjp@spice.cs.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) writes: >Could someone please tell me whether or not PageSetter is available >*now*, the publisher's address, and how much it costs? >... >| Mike Portuesi >| Carnegie-Mellon University Computer Science Department >| ARPA: mjp@spice.cs.cmu.edu >| UUCP: {harvard | seismo | ucbvax | decwrl}!spice.cs.cmu.edu!mjp Gold Disk is the company that developed it (I believe), and I have a business card from someone at the company and it reads... Gold Disk, Inc. 2179 Dunwin Drive, #6, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1X2 (CANADA) (416)828-0913 This is a card from one of the technical staff so I sure hope I haven't just posted his home address and phone #! Oh well, he's probably on royalties so he'll be glad to know people want his program... :-) Paul. Disclaimer: My opinions are mine, and I work for nobody.
mikeb@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Mike Brenner SW) (12/17/86)
In article <1106@spice.cs.cmu.edu> mjp@spice.cs.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) writes: >Could someone please tell me whether or not PageSetter is available >*now*, the publisher's address, and how much it costs? > > 1) Use a video camera connected to a frame grabber to digitize > a photo of the product in question. > > 2) Use a "desktop publishing" program to lay out a page for > the catalog that includes the digital image along with a > textual description (using different typefaces and sizes). > > 3) Print this on some output device (does NOT have to be a > LaserWriter...they'd be satisfied with an Epson) to produce > the output for each page in the manual. > >| Mike Portuesi | >| Carnegie-Mellon University Computer Science Department | Pagesetter will do this just fine. I have done it myself, including the digitzed image. The product is from The Gold Disk in Toronto Cdn. The Gold Disk P.O. Box 789 Streetsville, Ontario Canada L5M 2C2 P.S. Get him a copy of the Fish fonts as well. They look great in Pagesetter. Mike Brenner, Commodore Business Machines