Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!lethe!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!adobe!bezanson
From: bezanson@adobe.COM (Brian Bezanson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Adobe Type Manager
Message-ID: <1234@adobe.UUCP>
Date: 22 Sep 89 04:51:22 GMT
References: <15514@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <1179@adobe.UUCP> <5516@wiley.UUCP> <1227@adobe.UUCP> <2463@crdgw1.crd.ge.com>
Reply-To: bezanson@adobe.UUCP (Brian Bezanson)
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated, Mountain View
Lines: 51

In article <2463@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> desdemona!vita@steinmetz.UUCP (Mark F. Vita) writes:
>>	1) Not all PostScript printers used by Mac people have those faces.
>>	   This starts with the original LaserWriter, and goes to many of
>>	   our newer OEMs. We also sell the faces as type packages 1-5 for
>>	   these other users (normally ~$985 for the five).
>
>Oh, come now.  Almost every LaserWriter in existence that I know of
>has been upgraded to a Plus.  At this point, people expect to have
>Palatino, Bookman, etc. available *at a minimum*.

First, there are a lot of original Apple printers that haven't been upgraded.
Secondly, LinoTronics, Varitypers, ImageWriters, and any other QuickDraw
printer that will use ATM doesn't come with those fonts. We'd have to get
every LaserWriter plus owner to somehow send us an Apple registration card
and receipt to show us that they have the fonts in ROM.

>This is a basically a non-issue as far as most Mac users are
>concerned.  It just isn't worth $200 to get a few extra random
>characters.

The market (and response from that market - our customers) has been
tremendous. The two millions plus owners of ImageWriters can now get great
fonts, that look great for a small investment. Most people we talk to at
Seybold think $100 for ATM is a steal and the extra $200 for the "Plus
Pack" is worth it for the benefits they get.

>Also, I wish Adobe would stop saying that there are "13 fonts"
>included with ATM.  It almost sounds like Adobe is trying to imply
>that the whole LaserWriter Plus set is included.  Let's get real; it's
>four (4) fonts, with stylistic variations.  Now, I know we can argue
>about what technically a "font" is, but let's be realistic: to the
>general public, the concept of a "font" is "Palatino" vs.
>"Helvetica", not "Times Slanted Bold Oblique" vs. "Times Bold
>Condensed Rotated" or what-have-you.

We are using the correct definition of a font. Each one is a true font,
coming with a bitmap and outline. The variations of fonts (like roman,
bold, italic, bolditalic) together make a font family. If you look at any of
Adobe's, Linotype's, or BitStream's catalogs, you'll see they use this same
'font' definition. Apple's sales literature for the LaserWriter mentioned it
coming with 13 fonts - the NTX brochures talk about the 35 resident fonts.

I'm sorry you don't like that Adobe isn't giving away the "Plus Pack", but 
with more future ATM customers being users of non-PostScript printers w/o
these fonts it just wouldn't make good business sense.

-- 
----
Brian Bezanson                                          bezanson@adobe.com
Adobe Systems Incorporated           The opinions expressed above are my
                                     own and may not represent those of Adobe.