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From: gpw@cbnewsc.att.com (george.p.wilkin)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: Laserwriter problems
Message-ID: <1990Sep10.130349.14214@cbnewsc.att.com>
Date: 10 Sep 90 13:03:49 GMT
References: <19982.26e7d86f@merrimack.edu>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 43

From article <19982.26e7d86f@merrimack.edu>, by gelinasm@merrimack.edu:
> 
> Hello netters,
> 
> 	My company recently relinquished their lease on several DEC
> LN03 laserprinters, choosing to instead connect their MicroVAX IIs
> to an existing Apple LaserWriter.  They wish to be able to keep both
> the Macintoshes and the MicroVAXes connected at the same time.  They
> are presently using a Buffalo serial driver to send the MicroVAX
> printouts through the 9600 baud setting, but must switch to Appletalk
> and reboot the printer if a Mac user wants to print something.
> 	Is there any way to have both Macs and MicroVAX IIs connected to
> just the Appletalk line or just the serial line?  They would prefer to
> keep the present equipment if possible.  Thanks.
> 
There is a company that makes a bridge adapter for localtalk(appletalk).
Although they talk about MS-DOS there is NO reason this will not work on UNIX
or VMS systems that I can see.

Extended Systems 
6123 Meeker Ave
Boise, Idaho 83704
ph  208-322-7575
fax 208-377-1906

Product name: BridgePort

Description: Allows both PCs and Macs to share a printer. The box
supports serial and parallel communication(serial two-way). Serial
speeds upto 19.2K inbound to the box and 57.6K from the box are supported.   

I want to try one of these to KILL (destroy crush) our TOPS network which
has been the WORST piece of #$%$%%^, I am talking about the DOS version,
I have ever seen.   Hopefully the product will allow some independance
from silly software solutions to a hardware problem(again for MS-DOS only).

If anyone has tried it or knows more please post your results.
thanks
-- 
George Wilkin 	AT&T Network Systems,(IH MAIN BL)
                2000 N. Naperville Rd. Rm IH4A154
                Naperville, IL. 60566-7033
 att!ihlpf!gpw  work ph# (708) 979-4317