Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!samsung!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpvcfs1!neff
From: neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM (Dave Neff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Info about HP DeskWriter requested
Message-ID: <19640002@hpvcfs1.HP.COM>
Date: 6 Nov 89 23:42:27 GMT
References: <782@idacom.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 39

> First, what does the DeskWriter do that a DeskJet with a Grappler interface
> doesn't do (or vice versa)?  The price for a DeskJet Plus w/ Grappler appears
> less than for the DeskWriter.

The advantages of a DeskWriter for a Mac:

The DeskWriter runs at 57K baud serial, the DeskJet printers at 19.2 K baud.
The DeskWriter does "smart" bi-directional graphics, which no DeskJet does.
The DeskWriter supports scaleable outline fonts, which third party drivers
only support via ATM.  The DeskWriter printer and driver is officially
supported by HP for use on the Macintosh.  In general, the DeskWriter
on a Mac will be 10 times faster than a DeskJet and about 2 times faster
than a DeskJet+, but these numbers vary depending upon quality of the
DeskJet driver and system configuration (mainly RAM and CPU speed on
the MAC).

The advantages of a DeskJet+ for a Mac:

You can also use it with MS-DOS.  You may save a few dollars, but once you
add in the cost of ATM to get scaleable outline fonts that savings goes
away. The DeskWriter can only be used on a Mac with a hard drive and
at least 1 meg of RAM.  Some third party drivers will likely need less
RAM and no hard drive since they don't use outline fonts.

Personally, "my ego" is more tied up in the DeskJet+ since I worked
on the product.  But if I had a Mac I would definately get the DeskWriter
over the DeskJet+ without hesitation.

> Second, do the print screen functions work on the DeskWriter (or DeskJet w/
> Grappler) as they do on an Imagewriter?

The DeskWriter will support the print directory command from the finder.
If you are talking about a tricky way to print the entire desktop to
an Imagewriter (I believe there is one), I don't know how that works.
The rule of thumb is, if QuickDraw is used to print the data, it should
work with the DeskWriter.

Dave Neff
neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM