tj@utcs.UUCP (11/13/86)
I read in PC Week (good rag!) that Wordperfect 4.2, contrary to what they told me a month ago on the phone, now supporst Postscript (ie Apple LaserWriter etc...) The claim is that they announced and are shipping NOW. So the real question is, why would you want to transfer that 60 page document to Mac? Get an update from 4.1 to 4.2 for $35 and use WordPerfect all the way. tj
preuss@mimsy.UUCP (Don Preuss) (12/02/86)
You may wish to think twice about getting Wordperfect 4.2 for its LW
ability. It does not speak Postscript. What it does do, is download a
printer program to the LW and print to that. The printer program source is
included (because it has to be copied to the printer). The printer is a 2
font style printer with multiple font sizes (the fonts are Helvetica and
Times).
With some work, it looks like I can hack a better printer, but it's not
quite what I had expected from WP.
donp
(Wordperfect is a trademark of Wordperfect Inc.)
--
Uucp: ...seismo!umcp-cs!preuss
Arpa: preuss@Maryland
301-496-2265matthews@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (David Matthews) (12/12/86)
In article <4633@mimsy.UUCP> preuss@mimsy.UUCP (Don Preuss) writes: > You may wish to think twice about getting Wordperfect 4.2 for its LW >ability. It does not speak Postscript. What it does do, is download a >printer program to the LW and print to that. The printer program source is >included (because it has to be copied to the printer). The printer is a 2 >font style printer with multiple font sizes (the fonts are Helvetica and >Times). >Uucp: ...seismo!umcp-cs!preuss >Arpa: preuss@Maryland >301-496-2265 Can anyone say more about the Wordperfect/LW connection? (Version 4.2 hasn't made it here yet.) I suppose the PC has to be attached via Appletalk. Using what Appletalk adapter? How well does the screen image represent the proportional fonts? -- Dave ARPA: matthews@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu USENET: ...{cmcl2,shasta,uw-beaver,rochester}!cornell!tcgould!matthews BELL: (607)533-7820
korn@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (12/13/86)
In article <1791@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> matthews@batcomputer.UUCP (David Matthews) writes: >Can anyone say more about the Wordperfect/LW connection? (Version 4.2 hasn't >made it here yet.) I suppose the PC has to be attached via Appletalk. Using >what Appletalk adapter? How well does the screen image represent the >proportional fonts? I've meant to use WordPerfect with a LW (not a plus) (I haven't had a spare moment to connect them together--thankfully [see below]), and just today spoke at length with a woman in Word Perfect customer support. She said "Wordperfect doesn't support the TOPS network, nor the AppleTalk network", but that the only method to connect WordPerfect to the LW that they support was via a serial connection. Furthermore, she also stated that WP4.2 didn't support the LW+ either (though, as she didn't seem very technically inclined, I took this to mean that the plus fonts aren't supported). Additionally, I found out from her that WP4.2 sends a file over to the LW that disables Xon/Xoff in the LW--AND THAT THIS DISABLING IS DONE ON THE EPROM LEVEL. She said that once this file is sent, you can turn off the LW, and when you turn it back on again later, Xon/Xoff is still disabled. A later release of 4.2 is supposed to include another file that re-enables Xon/Xoff protocols; until then, if you plan to use your LW from a mac, or from any printer that wants to use Xon/Xoff protocols, don't use WordPerfect! (if anyone has any more information on this, please contact me!) To answer the last question David raised, you do NOT see font changes, or varying point sizes (which is, as far as the WordPerfect manual is concerned, a font change). All text is shown in the standard screen font (same with italics, btw). But...there is hope! TopsPrint just came out, which will supposedly allow any application that has an FX-80 (or is it FX-85) printer driver print to a postscript printer, and will send this output over an appletalk network (as long as you have the rest of the TOPS network product running over appletalk). I'll post a report just as soon as I've had a chance to sit down and play with TopsPrint. Peter Disclaimer: I work neither for WordPerfect, nor Centram systems, makers of TOPS, TopsPrint, etc. Also, I have a great deal of respect for the folks at WordPerfect--I feel that they make an excellent product; BUT I feel that in this instance, my information indicates that they goofed on their postscript interface. ----- Peter "Arrgh" Korn I know lots of honorary jews! Why, korn@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU some of my very best friends {decvax,dual,hplabs,sdcsvax,ulysses}!ucbvax!korn are honorary jews!
wilkes@hopkins-eecs-bravo.arpa (Richard P. Wilkes) (12/16/86)
The "support" of WordPerfect 4.2 for the Apple Laserwriter is limited to the capabilities WP 4.2 has with other printers. Meaning, up to 8 fonts are supported per document, and the mixing of fonts of different point sizes on the same line is not supported. The WP 4.2 LW connection was not meant as the final solution to the support of laser printers. Another version of WP is in the works that will offer better font mixing support. WP 4.2 is not a page layout program. If you need such capabilities, you may want to look into the WP / Pagemaker connection. Richard Wilkes, WordPerfect Support Group