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From: awessels@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Wessels)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Not another NeXT defector???!!!
Message-ID: <39269@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 7 Nov 90 02:50:04 GMT
References: <1990Nov6.232454.18981@agate.berkeley.edu> <1990Nov6.234855.11155@midway.uchicago.edu> <1990Nov7.015140.239@agate.berkeley.edu> <1990Nov7.015951.784@agate.berkeley.edu>
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Reply-To: awessels@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Wessels)
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
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In article <1990Nov7.015951.784@agate.berkeley.edu> knrgroup@garnet.berkeley.edu (Raymond group) writes:
>Well, now at least two people have told me that the NT is a PostScript printer.
>I've also had two people tell me it ain't.  Which is it folks?  Someone have
>a manual handy?

I don't have the manual handy, but since I just installed one in my office this
morning, the information is pretty fresh.  The Personal LW NT is a Postscript
printer.  The Personal LW SC is the "QuickDraw" printer.  Both the Personal
LaserWriters are based on a 4 page per minute Canon engine rated for (I think)
150,000 copies.

The LaserWriter II SC, NT, and NTX are all based on a more powerful engine 
rated at 300,000 copies and a heavier duty cycle.
 
>If it is a PostScript printer, why is it so much cheaper than the other Mac
>laser printers?

Because of the reasons above, and the fact that you can't upgrade the NT beyond
its basic 2 meg RAM (at least at this point, with an Apple upgrade).  I am also
guessing that Apple is feeling the competition from 3rd party LW makers.

The Personal LW NT is a nice little box, and if you do fairly complex print
jobs, it will perform quite well since it is limited more by the print engine
than the processor.  On the other hand, since it is limited to 2 meg, you won't
be downloading your whole font library to RAM.

(The problem with flame wars like these is that people start fixating on the 
whiz-bang features of that new box without knowing what the old stuff will 
really do.  And of course, since the new stuff is generally not at hand, some of
those whiz-bang features look bigger than life.)