[comp.sources.wanted] Sources for HP Laserjet TROFF or NROFF

bryan@quame.UUCP (Bryan A. Woodruff) (09/09/89)

I am looking for a RELIABLE method of using TROFF or NROFF with
the HP Laserjet Series II and produce quality output without
font cartridges...  Is there anything available? (XENIX/386 System V
compatible)

Bryan Woodruff
Quality America, Inc
(uunet!quame!bryan - bryan@uunet.quame)

kg@elan.elan.com (Ken Greer) (09/10/89)

From article <118@quame.UUCP>, by bryan@quame.UUCP (Bryan A. Woodruff):
> I am looking for a RELIABLE method of using TROFF or NROFF with
> the HP Laserjet Series II and produce quality output without
> font cartridges...  Is there anything available? (XENIX/386 System V
> compatible)

A fully supported Troff package call EROFF, with drivers for HP LJ 
and PostScript printers is available from:

                           Elan Computer Group, Inc.
                          888 Villa Street, 3rd Floor
                            Mountain View, CA 94041
                              Phone: 415-964-2200
                               FAX: 415-964-8588

allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) (09/10/89)

As quoted from <621@elan.elan.com> by kg@elan.elan.com (Ken Greer):
+---------------
| From article <118@quame.UUCP>, by bryan@quame.UUCP (Bryan A. Woodruff):
| > I am looking for a RELIABLE method of using TROFF or NROFF with
| > the HP Laserjet Series II and produce quality output without
| > font cartridges...  Is there anything available? (XENIX/386 System V
| > compatible)
| 
| A fully supported Troff package call EROFF, with drivers for HP LJ 
| and PostScript printers is available from:
+---------------

WARNING!  "Eroff" does not come with its own fonts; if you want e.g. Times
Roman, you have to buy a cartridge or soft font.  (grrr -- luckily, telotech
bought a demo package instead of blowing $$$ on the real thing)

++Brandon
-- 
Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc	     allbery@NCoast.ORG
uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery		    ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu
"Why do trans-atlantic transfers take so long?"
"Electrons don't swim very fast."  -john@minster.york.ac.uk and whh@PacBell.COM

fyl@ssc.UUCP (Phil Hughes) (09/11/89)

In article <118@quame.UUCP>, bryan@quame.UUCP (Bryan A. Woodruff) writes:
> I am looking for a RELIABLE method of using TROFF or NROFF with
> the HP Laserjet Series II and produce quality output without
> font cartridges...  Is there anything available? (XENIX/386 System V
> compatible)

I recently got jetroff from PC Research.  The initial version
is shareware, the current version is $100 for commercial users,
$50 for individuals.  It comes with source and is a nice package.
It is specifically designed for the LJ2 although I have run it
with both a DeskJet and a Panasonic LJ+ compatible.  

It is well worth the price and produces really decent output.
It can also be used with additional softfonts that are available but
comes with support of the standard stuff (Roman and Helvetica).
Although is is recommended that you have DWB 2.0 I am using it
with Microport DWB 1.0 and it works almost fine (where almost
is easily tracable to Microport bugs).

Don't have the address with me but uunet!pcrat!rick will get
you the right person.
-- 
Phil Hughes, SSC, Inc. P.O. Box 55549, Seattle, WA 98155  (206)FOR-UNIX
    amc-gw!ssc!fyl or uunet!pilchuck!ssc!fyl or attmail!ssc!fyl

bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy) (09/12/89)

In article <169@ssc.UUCP> fyl@ssc.UUCP (Phil Hughes) writes:
>In article <118@quame.UUCP>, bryan@quame.UUCP (Bryan A. Woodruff) writes:
>> I am looking for a RELIABLE method of using TROFF or NROFF with
[ ... ]
>
>I recently got jetroff from PC Research.  The initial version
[ ... ]
>-- 
>Phil Hughes, SSC, Inc. P.O. Box 55549, Seattle, WA 98155  (206)FOR-UNIX
>    amc-gw!ssc!fyl or uunet!pilchuck!ssc!fyl or attmail!ssc!fyl

I want to add my $.02 regarding jetroff.  I purchased Elan and eroff
is quite nice.  I prefer their font cartridge support to jetroff.  If
you don't already have a ditroff, you'll need to find one, I'm sure
that Rick Richardson (uunet!pcrat!jetroff) can point you at one that you
can afford.

In many, even most respects I prefer jetroff but I still like and use eroff.
My recommendation is twofold.  If you are spending your own money and you
don't have a lot of it, buy jetroff from PC Research.  If you are spending
school or company money, get both eroff from Elan and jetroff.  You will
find that they compliment each other very nicely.  That will give you the
best of both worlds.

Also, if portability is an issue, jetroff wins again because it comes in
source form (or at least mine did).  Elan has ported their product to all
of the popular *NIX platforms but you need to buy it all over again if you
decide to switch equipment.  When I bought eroff I knew that I wanted both
80286 Microport V/AT and AT&T 386 UNIX so they gave me a generous discount
on the second license.  If I decided today that I wanted it for the 3B2, I
doubt (nor would I expect) they would be as generous.  With jetroff I can
be squeaky clean and send him another $50 for the new platform or just rip
him off since I have the source.  I'd opt for the former because he has
been absolutely SUPER with support for a product that didn't make him as
much money as he deserved.

Elan's support has been efficient and effective.  I've not been notified of
enhancements or updates, but every question I've asked (phone or email)
has been handled quickly and accurately.  Textware has also been mentioned
in this discussion and before I comment, let me make it clear that I don't
have it.  I do know some people that do and at least one of them has stopped
using it because the documentation is non-existant.  I've heard no complaints
regarding the funtionality of Textware but I've heard nothing but bad about
the (lack of) documentation.  In the early stages of jetroff's life Rick was
distributing updates faster than I could apply them.  Since I have an LJ-II,
none of the fixes were for anything I considered serious, but the LJ+ and
clone owners would feel differently.

In conclusion, since I mentioned documentation, if you're spending someone
else's money Elan is a big win.  You get everything that AT&T put out for
the DWB 2.0 and many enhancements and helpful examples written by Elan.
Rick has documented jetroff, but he doesn't tell you much about DWB.  Both
is the best buy if you have the $$.  BTW Phil didn't mention that he's in
the publishing business, consider that when you weigh his remarks.  I didn't
know an em from an en, but Phil _has_ to know his stuff.
-- 
Bill Kennedy  usenet      {attctc,att,cs.utexas.edu,sun!daver}!ssbn!bill
              internet    bill@ssbn.WLK.COM   or attmail!ssbn!bill