glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) (04/01/91)
I am curious about printing from applications running under SoftPC. Can
you print to the NeXT printer? Does it work at all? Do different
applications work with different levels of success? I presume that if
the app generates PostScript then you're likely to be able to print, but
some apps generate fairly printer-specific code that might not run on
the NeXT printer.
Just curious if anyone has tried this, and what level of printing support
the folks at Insignia claim.
--
Glenn Reid RightBrain Software
glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us NeXT/PostScript developers
..{adobe,next}!heaven!glenn 415-851-1785 (fax 851-1470)mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D. Callaghan) (04/02/91)
In article <465@heaven.woodside.ca.us> glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) writes: > >I am curious about printing from applications running under SoftPC. Can >you print to the NeXT printer? Does it work at all? Do different >applications work with different levels of success? I presume that if >the app generates PostScript then you're likely to be able to print, but >some apps generate fairly printer-specific code that might not run on >the NeXT printer. > >Just curious if anyone has tried this, and what level of printing support >the folks at Insignia claim. > I played with a demo version of SoftPC at the NeXT booth at a recent DC Computer Show. Apparently, SoftPC can do one of three things with any IBM printer port: 1: Redirect it to /dev/ttya 2: Redirect it to /dev/ttyb (kinda obvious, really) 3: Pipe it to ANY UNIX command you can type in its window. #3 is the nice one. I've already found lj2ps, and it compiled perfectly under the NeXT. I have yet to try it, but the README file says that it converts PCL4 text files to PostScript. No graphics, but most of my printing is all text. If you're running Windows 3.0, you can specifiy PostScript, and pipe the printer output to lpr. I hear that there is an Epson FX --> PostScript (including graphics) in existance somewhere. That would be perfect, since pretty much everything in the IBM world can print to an Epson FX printer. If anyone knows where it is, please let me know. I also plan to purchase an Epson printer with a serial interface, just as a catch-all printer. -- MikeC _________________________________________________________ Michael D. Callaghan, MDC Designs, University of Maryland mikec@wam.umd.edu
hardy@golem.ps.uci.edu (Meinhard E. Mayer (Hardy)) (04/09/91)
Here are my first impressions on SoftPC -- Printing. As an emulator it runs reasonably well (I tried Worperfect, 123, PCTools, MSKermit 3.01, Epsilon); speed is comparable to my 12 MH HPVectra ES (or a 10 MHz NEC portabble, at least). Screen looks reasonable, though the large-size fonts (1.5 size screen, sort-of 13-inch diagonal) are pretty shabby. Annoying thing (I guess it can't be helped): when you want to eject a floppy you must first "umount" it (Alt-f) insert a new one, "mount" it (Alt-f, again); and sometimes it won't read; I now copy my flopies to the "network drive" E: (i.e., the NeXT filesystem), from where I can move files to drive C: if needed, or work on them. Really annoying if not outright bad (I hope someone at Insignia reads this list and responds!): Handling of the serial ports and PRINTING! After a lot of kludging (I use a LaserjetIIP w. Postscript cartridge) and only after making Serial A = Com 1 I manageed to print Postscript from Wordperfect (one of the main reasons for buying SoftPC was to be able to work on some Manuscripts I have on a PC). I could print graphics from 123 (switch off the printer, pull the PS cartridge, switch on again) but not yet text (a few more wasted hours?). Communications via port B took a while to get going too; MSKermit works, but only up to 9600 baud; Lap-Link does not, so transfering files form a PC is slow and painful (it is faster to "Zip" them, ftp them to the NeXt if you are on ethernet both ends) and unzip again. In all fairness, it may not all be Insignia's fault; the serial port software/hardware on the NeXT has given me troubles with other programs too, particularly printing; the messages: Apr 7 21:55:01 weyl mach: zs0: recv buffer overrun Apr 7 21:56:51 weyl last message repeated 10 times Apr 7 21:57:02 weyl mach: zs0: recv buffer overrun Apr 7 21:58:19 weyl last message repeated 7 times appear quite often, particularly when printing and running Kermit. Printing on a non-NeXT printer (which I need because of support for other machines) is not one of life's pleasures. Hope to hear comments from others on SoftPC before I decide to return it! Greetings, Hardy -------****------- Meinhard E. Mayer (Hardy); Department of Physics, University of California Irvine CA 92717; (714) 856 5543; hardy@golem.ps.uci.edu or MMAYER@UCI.BITNET