[comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware] Laser Printers with emulation sensing

paul@aucs.AcadiaU.ca (Paul Steele) (06/04/91)

We are looking for a replacement for our old AppleLaserWriter Plus and
HP LaserJET.  What we would like is a printer with automatic emulation
sensing between HP PCL and Postscript.  By automatic emulation sensing
I mean that the printer examines the information as it arrives and decides
whether the characters are a postscript image or a PCL image.  I know QMS
has a least one such print, a real pricy 20 ppm printer, but we'd like
something a little less fancy, but with the performance of something
like a LaserWriter NTX. The printer also has to have Appletalk. If anyone
has any information on such printers I'd appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks.

-- 
Paul Steele       Acadia University, Wolfville, NS Canada B0P 1X0
Systems Analyst   Paul@aucs.acadiau.ca         (902) 542-2201x587

klefstad@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Sue Klefstad) (06/05/91)

paul@aucs.AcadiaU.ca (Paul Steele) writes:


>We are looking for a replacement for our old AppleLaserWriter Plus and
>HP LaserJET.  What we would like is a printer with automatic emulation
>sensing between HP PCL and Postscript.

I have no firsthand experience with the following (though I would
love to hear comments).  But do you know about:
The BridgePort (by Extended Systems 208-322-7575).  Electronic switching
device that allows Macs and PCs to connect to PostScript printer
without user intervention.  Emulates LaserWriter so Macs can print to
non-Apple printers.  Compatible with HP LaserJet, Apple LaserWriter,
IBM Laser printer with PostScript Option, QMS PostScript 810 Turbo Printer.
$495.

QMS-PS 410:  4 ppm (I believe) printer that interprets incoming data and
automatically chooses appropriate printer language.  Can handle data sent
simultaneously on its AppleTalk, serial, and parallel ports.


-- 
-
Sue Klefstad    Ill. Natural History Survey    s-klefstad@uiuc.edu

Wally.Meerschaert@wyrm.rbbs-net.ORG (Wally Meerschaert) (06/06/91)

 PS> ... What we would like is a printer with
 PS> automatic emulation sensing between HP PCL and Postscript.  By
 PS> automatic emulation sensing I mean that the printer examines
 PS> the information as it arrives and decides whether the
 PS> characters are a postscript image or a PCL image.  I know QMS
 PS> has a least one such print, a real pricy 20 ppm printer, but
 PS> we'd like something a little less fancy, but with the
 PS> performance of something like a LaserWriter NTX. The printer
 PS> also has to have Appletalk. If anyone has any information on
 PS> such printers I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thanks.

Actually, QMS incorporates ESP (their trademark for their sensing
thingy) into their entire line, from the 410 (4ppm) to the 2200 (22ppm)
The 410 is about $2k, and the 8xx's run about $3.5k.  We use several
410's aroung here and have found that it was easier to do the switching
manually, or in some cases to just convert our text to PS before
sending.  EPS isn't a panacea, and it is pretty hard for a pronter to
know when one job ends and another one starts without going in for some
proprietary switching codes.

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