prj@PM-PRJ.LCS.MIT.EDU (06/30/87)
The Lab. I work in has just started converting to using PostScript printers (QMS PS2400s and PS800s for the moment) as our standard printers. We are now getting complaints from our TeX users (you know, those THEORETICAL computer scientists) about how slow printing is for them now. Quotes range from an average of 2 pages per minute up to a max of 5 pages per minute (both on the "24 pages/minute" PS2400s). Since this must be a common problem for other academic and research institutions, we'ld like to know how they are solving it. It would seem that we might be able to improve performance by keeping CMR fonts and the dvi.ps routines around permanently in the PostScript interpreter's memory, but even so I doubt we can crack the 5 page/min barrier. We are using Transcript spooling software on a MicroVax running Ultrix, with dvi2ps to do the translation. Should we using other software? Another solution in the long run is to move away from TeX to some other software/environment for producing mathmatical text. My understanding is that the Interleaf software for SUNs could handle this. Is there similar software for Vaxes? Can mathematical papers be produced quickly and conveniently on Vaxes with printing on PostScript printers? As always, thanks for any help. ---Paul Johnson M.I.T., Lab. for Computer Science (617) 253-1945