[comp.lang.postscript] LaserConnection-JetScript Brd ????

rhc@nsscb.UUCP (Rick Calder) (03/12/90)

	Does anyone have any feedback on this product ?
	Can someone send me the product announcement that went out many
		moons ago ?
	Does it just take the place of an existing LP port, meaning the IRQ ?
	Does it totally rasterize the printer output ?
	Will it work to an HP DeskJet+ ?
			Thanks in advance.
-- 
		Rick Calder, AT&T National Systems Support Center
		      [att!]rick!rick     rick@rick.att.com
				attmail!rcalder

woody@chinacat.Lonestar.ORG (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) (03/13/90)

In article <1269@nsscb.UUCP>, rhc@nsscb.UUCP (Rick Calder) writes:
> 
> 	Does anyone have any feedback on this product ?
> 	Can someone send me the product announcement that went out many
> 		moons ago ?
> 	Does it just take the place of an existing LP port, meaning the IRQ ?
> 	Does it totally rasterize the printer output ?
> 	Will it work to an HP DeskJet+ ?
> 			Thanks in advance.

The Jescript controler contains 3 megs of memory, and a 12 Mhz 68000.
It plugs into a pc-bus slot.  There is a cable that runs over to the
user port (not the serial port or paralell port, but an internal port)
and has a small card that plugs into the laserjet II there.  You leave
your normal connections to the hp in place.  Postscript takes about 2 meg
of disk space.  It is encrypted.  There is a loader that downloads the
Adobe interpreter into one 1 meg of memory in the controller card.
There is a device driver that installs in the computer (3k).  Printing
to LPT4, will send to the Postscript interpreter, printing normaly will
send to the hp.  Basicaly, the plug in card switches the internal controller
off and gains direct access to the video inputs in the hp.  This card
works FAST, and does an excellent job.  You cannot access the 68000
or the extra memory, except through a postscript program.  I may have access
to 1 board for sale (it is new, but way out of warrantee).  I'll check, and
if it is available, the first $1400 will get it.  BUT there is only 1.  We
bought it 2 years ago at the store where I used to work, demoed it 2 times
and never got it sold.  Last I knew it was still sitting there, though it
may be gon now.  This is a GOOD product, and works well.  It is still
available from The Laser Connection.  I can get further info if anyone
is interested, email me...
Cheers
Woody
e


> -- 
> 		Rick Calder, AT&T National Systems Support Center
> 		      [att!]rick!rick     rick@rick.att.com
> 				attmail!rcalder

geof@aurora.com (Geoffrey H. Cooper) (03/15/90)

In article <1073@chinacat.Lonestar.ORG> woody@chinacat.Lonestar.ORG (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) writes:
>In article <1269@nsscb.UUCP>, rhc@nsscb.UUCP (Rick Calder) writes:
>> 	Does it just take the place of an existing LP port, meaning the IRQ ?
>> 	Does it totally rasterize the printer output ?
yes.
>> 	Will it work to an HP DeskJet+ ?
no.
>
>The Jescript controler contains 3 megs of memory, and a 12 Mhz 68000.

Nope, it is 16 MHz.  The other, similar, product from TLC (PC PubKit)
is 12 MHz.

>and has a small card that plugs into the laserjet II there.  You leave

Essentially, this is only for the LaserJet II.  It may also work with
some other laser printers with LBP-SX engines, such as the Canon LBP 8II.
TLC could answer for sure.

>may be gon now.  This is a GOOD product, and works well.  It is still
Agreed.

TLC also sells an UltraScript-based product called PC Publisher Kit
that they got through QMS' acquisition of IMAGEN.  It performs at
about the same speed as JetScript, partly because of ASIC's developed
for the product, and needs only 2MB, since it accesses the PC file
system for fonts instead of downloading them at startup time.  I'm not
sure about JetScript, but PubKit comes with some other bells and
whistles to do other emulations (even PCL with PostScript-style
fonts).  In both cases, the LaserJet is still accessible.

Both products are good.  Last I heard, JetScript was more expensive,
but accepts all Adobe fonts.  PubKit uses UltraScript fonts, which are
plentiful but not as much so as PostScript fonts.

If you have only a few PostScript pages to print a day, you might
investigate and all software solution.  They are slower, usually rated
with mpp, rather than ppm -- but far cheaper.  QMS UltraScript PC is
one such product ($200) (translates PS to PCL for printing on
laserjet).  It works extremely well with the deskjet plus (about 1-2
minutes per page).   Call IMAGEN in Santa Clara, CA about that one.

- Geof

Disclaimer: I worked on some of these products when at IMAGEN and QMS.
Hence I know of what I speak, if you elect to trust me :-)
-- 
geof@aurora.com / aurora!geof@decwrl.dec.com / geof%aurora.com@decwrl.dec.com