Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!dog.ee.lbl.gov!hellgate.utah.edu!csn!datran2!smb
From: smb@csn.org!datran2
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: SUMMARY: NeXT Floppy Drive and Printer
Summary: Constraints on bitmap drivers
Message-ID: <1991Jan8.190343.3701@csn.org!datran2>
Date: 8 Jan 91 19:03:43 GMT
References: <8033@hub.ucsb.edu>
Sender: Steven M. Boker
Distribution: na
Organization: Data Transforms, Inc.
Lines: 26

In article <8033@hub.ucsb.edu> ye@henri.ucsb.edu (Hong Ye) writes:
>Laser Printer:
>	NeXT has presumably opened up the printing architecture with 2.0.
>	With an approriate printer driver, your NeXT machine should be
>	able to support any printer. Now, any volunteer to write a driver
>	for LaserJet?

This is certainly do-able.  In fact Data Transforms has been writing
and selling printer drivers for bitmap printers for 10 years now. (We
don't all have the luxury of institutional support)  I do have one
observation about this.  The bitblasting printer port that connects
to the NeXT printer operates at speeds far exceeding those supported
by an RS232 laser printer.  A full page bitmap at 300dpi is 7,560,000
bits.  This a little more than 13 minutes per page at 9600 baud. 
Printers capable of 38.4kbaud will be able to get this down to a little
over 3 minutes per page.  Thats a long wait.  After you've waited a
half hour to get a 10 page document, the price of the NeXT printer
doesn't look so bad.

Steve

-- 
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 #  Steve Boker           #  "Badgers, we don't have no stinking badgers"   #
 #  datran2!smb@csn.org   #    -from Treasure of the Sierra Madre Zoo       #
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