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From: bmug@garnet.berkeley.edu (BMUG)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Apple/Microsoft Technology Agreement
Message-ID: <1989Sep20.152901.28720@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 20 Sep 89 15:29:01 GMT
References: <34887@apple.Apple.COM>
Sender: usenet@agate.berkeley.edu (USENET Administrator;;;;ZU44)
Reply-To: bmug@garnet.berkeley.edu (BMUG)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 48

In article <34887@apple.Apple.COM> mjohnson@Apple.COM (Mark B. Johnson) writes:
>APPLE , MICROSOFT ANNOUNCE CROSS-LICENSE  AGREEMENT FOR
>OUTLINE FONT TECHNOLOGY, PRINTER SOFTWARE
(and a portion of the long press release) 
>Microsoft Printer Software Enables WYSIWYG Documents
> 
>     A standard outline font format for screen output is one half
>of the equation for high-quality document production.  The
>second half is the availability of standard printer software
>that incorporates the same font format as used for screen
>output.  This printer software meets both these criteria.
>     The printer software is based on source code from Bauer
>Enterprises of San Jose, California, acquired by Microsoft in
>July 1989.  It is compatible with Adobe PostScript printer
>language and has  enhancements for compatibility with OS/2 Presentation
>Manager and Macintosh.
>     The new printer software provides a high-level description
>of a page to a printer.  It accepts input from the host system
>and translates it into a series of commands describing which
>pixels of the page to mark with ink.

OK, so the obvious question is:

Given that PostScript (and a couple of other PDLs) represents an
integrated approach to typefaces, graphic elements, and text/element
manipulation, what does this agreement mean for Apple screen/printer
imaging?

Assuming that a unified imaging model is best, does this mean that
the QuickDraw-based imaging model which heretofore controlled typeface
and object display on screen (and in QD-supporting printers) will be
replaced by a Royal/BauerScript model? Or does it mean that Royal
and a future version of QuickDraw will be combined, and a translation
scheme such as that which occurs with Apple's LaserWriter drivers
be employed to convert Royal/QD to BauerScript?

and what exactly will happen at a low level in software when a
program is used to manipulate combinations of text and graphics
(as in either the PostScript (FreeHand/Illustrator) or QuickDraw
(Canvas/MacDraw/Dreams) mode)?

Inquiring minds want to know (like mine!! :-))

John Heckendorn
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