mark@brandy.UUCP (mark hilliard) (01/09/90)
With all the talk about the new Post Script printer cartridges that have come on the market, it is refreshing to see another option for HIGH SPEED postscript. How about a FAST hardware based postscript that drives ALL HP Laserjet clones, as well as the DESKJET? Well I just tested this new board in my 386 running Interactive's 2.02 UNIX and it is the best product for post script that I have seen short of a IINTX! It blows the doors off of the PacificPage postscript cartridge as well as the HP cartridge! There is a new company called "ABATON" which is really owned by EVEREX, that has come out with a HIGH SPEED Post Script card called the POSTCARD PLUS. The card plugs into any slot in a 386 based UNIX system, and communicates with the printer via a standard printer parallel port. If you wish to use the dedicated link to the Cannon SX there is a option for that as well. The card just plugs into the backplane, and uses 2 I/O adresses and 1 int. The software is installed using installpkg, and after a kernal rebuild, you are up and running. The card has 35 fonts for postscript, and with a simple command switches between postscript and HP modes. The card has 3 meg of ram, (with the option of a 2 meg addon), a dedicated 16 meg 80186 main processor and for the real speed a 82786 graphics coprocessor. This board really screams! For those of you who use MS-DOS there is also a software package for that. I have tested the card with every software package that I could find, and everything worked. All of the GREENBOOK examples work without a hitch. The card is sells for $1795 (list), and I am told that discounts are offered for resellers and developers. I think that the 2 meg addon is around another $700. I know that this is twice as much as a postscript cartridge, but is is as fast as a IINTX and can be switched between HP and postscript via a simple shell command. There is no going to the printer and messing with panel switches! You can contact William Lee at Abaton/Everex at 1-800-444-5321 ext 2727, or Lisa at ext 4725. Both have given great support for this product. I have no connection with Abaton or Everex other than a SATISIFIED customer! Mark Hilliard N2HHR rutgers!rochester!kodak!gizzmo!mark