[comp.sys.next] Third party PostScript printers vs. the NeXT laser printer

grw@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (George Wu) (06/21/91)

    I am buying a NeXTStation and also contemplating whether I should
get the NeXT laser printer or a third party PostScript printer.  I
know the NeXT laser printer prints at 400dpi but I really care more
about its printing speed.  Is it faster than the low-end third party
PostScript printers(e.g. TI, HPLJ III w/PS cartridge, etc.) ?

izumi@mindseye.berkeley.edu (Izumi Ohzawa) (06/21/91)

In article <1991Jun21.033021.24262@cs.ucla.edu> grw@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (George Wu) writes:
>
>    I am buying a NeXTStation and also contemplating whether I should
>get the NeXT laser printer or a third party PostScript printer.  I
>know the NeXT laser printer prints at 400dpi but I really care more
>about its printing speed.  Is it faster than the low-end third party
>PostScript printers(e.g. TI, HPLJ III w/PS cartridge, etc.) ?

There are two reasons to buy NeXT laser printer.

[1] Because NeXT lacks a parallel port, a 3-rd party printer
must be driven via a serial port.  Even at 19200 baud, printing
documents that contain a lot of bitmap images will take forever
to print.  NeXT printer doesn't have this bottleneck.
Try printing "IB_Tutorial" or "NeXTAdvantage" documents
available at FTP sites both on a NeXT printer, and any
serial PS printer.

[2] You will automatically get the newest PostScript version
every time you get an OS upgrade from NeXT.  Cant' do that
with PS interpreter that reside in ROMs of 3-rd party printers.
It will cost you a fortune even if you can.
And with CPU board upgrade, your NeXT printer will become
even faster.

And may be one more,
NeXT laser is probably the most economical PS printer with
Ethernet interface.


Izumi Ohzawa             [ $@Bg_78^=;(J ]
USMail: University of California, 360 Minor Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Telephone: (415) 642-6440             Fax:  (415) 642-3323
Internet: izumi@violet.berkeley.edu   NeXTmail: izumi@pinoko.berkeley.edu 

jchin@wimsey.bc.ca (Joseph Chin) (06/21/91)

In article <1991Jun21.033021.24262@cs.ucla.edu> grw@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (George Wu) writes:
>
>    I am buying a NeXTStation and also contemplating whether I should
>get the NeXT laser printer or a third party PostScript printer.  I
>know the NeXT laser printer prints at 400dpi but I really care more
>about its printing speed.  Is it faster than the low-end third party
>PostScript printers(e.g. TI, HPLJ III w/PS cartridge, etc.) ?

The NeXT 400-dpi Laser Printer is undeniably MUCH FASTER than any "low-end"
third-party Postscript printer; even when connected to a lowly 8MB 030 OD
Cube! This is even more apparent when printing bitmap images (e.g. BIG
scanned TIFF file). 

400-dpi is also noticeably better than 300-dpi. You also don't have to
worry about Postscript compatibility between the NeXT (Display Postscript)
and a third-party printer's Raster Imaging Processor (RIP).

:-) Joe

-- 
Joseph Chin                         Wordcraft Systems Corporation
jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca           201-434 West 12th Avenue
(604)879-9687 (voice & NeXTfax)     Vancouver, B.C., Canada  V5Y 1V3
********************* NeXT Registered Developer ********************