Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!wtm From: mattioli@took.dec.com (John R. Mattioli) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: new Braille printer introduced Message-ID: <12661@bunker.UUCP> Date: 9 Jul 90 16:26:21 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: mattioli@took.dec.com (John R. Mattioli) Distribution: misc Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 71 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 9071 In article <12572@bunker.UUCP>, Marda.Anderson@f150.n321.z1.fidonet.org (Marda Anderson) writes... > >I recently received information in the mail from a company called Howtech >in Hudson, New Hanmpshire, describing their new printer. It is a ink >jet printer which can be used to print Braille as well. Grade Two >Braille can be printed using one of the translation programs such as >Duxbury or Turbobraille. The printer can also do graphics though I >didn't see an example of the graphics. There was also no mention of >price. If anyone has heard more, it might be interesting to know about >it. > Marda and others, The Howtek printer is called the Pixelmaster. It is a laser printer, not an ink jet printer. It uses a sort of crayon instead of the usual toner that a regular laser printer uses. The crayon is melted down before it is put on the page where it forms braille dots. The printer can function in three ways: print only, braille only, or print and braille combined. This combination means that the printer can be useful to sighted people not just blind people. The printer is not intended to replace an embosser. The braille is, indeed, not very clear. I see the big gain in the graphics ability of the printer. I have seen several graphics samples and they were quite good. One of these graphic samples was a floor plan of the hotel where the ACB convention was held in Denver. Perhaps the biggest win with this printer is the ability to print postscript files. Postscript, for those who don't know, is a standard "language" for typesetting. It is extremely popular under every operating system. It is extremely powerful and has been a barier to me for quite some time. The price for the entire printer package: printer, Duxbury translator, crayons, etc is about $6,800. This package does not include the postscript driver. This is where some confusion comes in. It seems that to use the printer there are drivers you need for MS-DOS. I don't understand what these drivers are for. I don't understand why the drivers are necessary for non-postscript operation. I don't know if these drivers are available or necessary for machines other then IBM PC compatible machines. The printer is being sold by Enabling Technology in Florida and they were unable to answer any of these questions although they did say they'd get back to me with an answer. I must say that I am not a fan of ETC. This printer could be a fantastic product but it needs a marketer that can fully understand and appreciate it's power and I'm not sure that Enabling Technology is in that position as of yet. I am having some info sent to me which will hopefully explain more details about the printer and what it can and can't do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Mattioli Most improved skier (american blind skiers association 1989) and humble to! (DEC E-NET) TOOK::MATTIOLI (UUCP) {decvax, ucbvax, allegra}!decwrl!TOOK.dec.com!MATTIOLI (ARPA) MATTIOLI@TOOK.dec.com MATTIOLI%TOOK.dec.com@decwrl.dec.com (US MAIL) John Mattioli 550 King St. LKG2-2/BB9 Littleton, Ma. 01460