Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!cohen
From: cohen@sunybcs.cs.Buffalo.EDU (Alexander Cohen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: ATM and HP LaserJet II-compaitble printers
Message-ID: <13126@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 11 Nov 89 21:11:13 GMT
References: <5907@shlump.nac.dec.com> <2046@network.ucsd.edu> <1432@adobe.UUCP>
Sender: nobody@acsu.buffalo.edu
Reply-To: cohen@antares.UUCP (Alexander Cohen)
Organization: SUNY/Buffalo Computer Science
Lines: 69

In article <1432@adobe.UUCP> bezanson@adobe.UUCP (Brian Bezanson) writes:
>
>In article <2046@network.ucsd.edu> dpaight@weber.UUCP (Dan Paight) writes:
>>And I suppose Adobe was unaware of this problem before releasing
>>ATM. Don't these people test their products before marketing them?
>>Their ads sing the virtues of ATM for owners of Imagewriters, yet
>>the damned thing won't even handle kerning correctly on an
>>Imagewriter!
>
>Most of the spacing problems on the Imagewriter are due to application
>spacing problems (no support for fractional widths). Adobe did
>extensive testing
>on all printers mentioned in the advertising. Should Adobe hold up shipping
>ATM so Apple could do a better ImageWriter driver or Microsoft fix their
>spacing to the ImageWriter?

*------>
	But look--the real question is not even being addressed here, namely
why does Adobe adverstise that this program works for Imagewriter users? The
simple fact is that ATM and Fullwrite DOES NOT WORK any better than it does 
with Word 4.0 or MacDraw or Canvas, or NISUS!  Why are you still confused
on this point?

	I have a hard time believing that it works with any program which prints
through the apple driver.  I posted a challange to reproduce the Adobe
advertisment and nobody has sent me any word as to whether they were able
to reproduce the fine kerning of that ad. If it only works with Quark express
then Adobe should tell potential buyers that in advance.

>Apple isn't going to fix their drivers because the
>whole architecture is changing under 7.0. Adobe is working with developers to
>make their applications space better, and things are happening. For users
>with FullWrite, PageMaker, XPress, or MacWrite II 1.1 the results are very
>similar to a LaserPrinter (given the dpi differences). For any type above
>14 point ATM is a big win.

	Sure above 14 point, so long as you don't try to use an apostrophe
which will be have a mile of space either side of it! :-)

	And which is it?  Is it the Imagewriter Driver? or the Applications?
Brian, you can't tell me that on the one hand it is the Driver and on the other
that it works with some applications, what do these programs do differently
with the Imagewriter Driver?

>These spacing problems won't go away in System 7.0. The new print drivers will
>fix some of the problems, but if the applications don't do spaing right now
>with the fonts, they won't in System 7.0. My personal guess right now is that
>ATM is showing manufacturers where they need upgrading and most are doing
>ATM upgrades and they may need to do more for 7.0.

	Ah come on!  Adobe should write their own driver for ATM, it can't
be impossible...at least we would then get what we paid for.

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

	Well, that's my last flame on this subject...I'm dissapointed
with ATM and Adobe, but I'm not recommending this product to anybody.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alexander J. Cohen
		..!{ames,boulder,decvax,rutgers}!sunybcs!cohen
Dept. of Computer Science	   internet:   cohen@cs.buffalo.edu
SUNY at Buffalo			     BITNET:   cohen@sunybcs.BITNET
Buffalo, NY  14260		      GEnie:   AJCOHEN
 		 
    "Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?"   Elvis Costello
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