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From: geof@apolling (Geof Cooper)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: PostScript Interperters
Message-ID: <4294@imagen.UUCP>
Date: 25 Aug 89 00:08:20 GMT
Sender: daemon@imagen.UUCP
Lines: 54

In article <3508@wpi.wpi.edu> mhampson@wpi.wpi.edu (Mark A. Hampson) writes:
>I am interested in information about commercially available software for
>the MS-DOS family of computers that will allow the interpertation of 
>PostScript code that can generate output to other printing devices.  THe
>purpose of this is for proof work that we do not want to tie up the printer
>with.  
>
>I have heard of two:
>      1) Freedom of Press ($495)  --  Has anybody used it?  What did you think?
>      2) GoScript  --  Only over the net and in one add.  

add to this:

       3) QMS UltraScript PC
	
I have clear opinions about the merits of each of these packages, but
I'll keep quiet about the others since I'm involved with #3.  Since you
asked, I'll take the opportunity to answer your specific questions.

>      1) would like to know version of PS that is supported
Based on LaserWriter V38 & V46, fonts by IMAGEN from the Linotype et
al outlines.  All advance widths compatible with Adobe's.

>      2) would like to know output devices supported
LaserJet, DeskJet (& DJ+), Canon BJ-130, EpsonLQ, FX-80, TIFF.  Color epson
and PaintJet supported in release 2, soon.  The DeskJet+ is a real
price/performance win.

>	3) rough estimate of price (if known)
$195 wi/25 faces - $445 wi/47 faces.  The faces are the "standard" 13
and the "standard" 35 with 12 Lucida faces thrown in.

> 	4) approx.  speed (fast/slow)
Depends on the PC and the memory.  The biggest feature is that the
speed is not heavily dependent on having an FPU.  You can run the
package very slowly on a 640K machine but 1MB is needed for reasonable
performance.  On an 10MHz 80286 it is about .5-.7 LaserWriter+'s.  On a
386/20 about 1.5 LW+'s.  This refers to processing speed only - time to
print depends on the speed of the printer's parallel interface.

Uses the DOS16/M protected mode DOS extender (the one Lotus is using
now) so it uses extended memory and protected mode.  Hence it will not
run on an 8086/8 machine (80286 & 80386 (+ 486, presumably) only).  An
advantage of DOS16/M is that you can load the interpreter as a TSR in
extended memory and process PostScript data without leaving your
application.  (I guess I got excited and said something that you didn't
ask specifically...)

>      5) Vendor
Available from "The Laser Connection" (QMS Subsidiary) and by calling
IMAGEN (QMS Subsidiary) in Santa Clara, CA.

- Geof Cooper
  IMAGEN