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From: thomsen@spf.trw.com (Mark R. Thomsen)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: PostScript on Computer Displays
Message-ID: <284554CA.424F@deneva.sdd.trw.com>
Date: 30 May 91 19:38:50 GMT
Sender: news@deneva.sdd.trw.com
Organization: TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 34

I have three questions.

I know of the history of PostScript - originated from ex-Xerox folk
who saw the need for a laser printer graphics language and produced
the mostly-right thing at the right time. They had some experience.
Emphasis was on the static graphic and fonts associated with
printing quality documents.

Roll forward and we have a conversion morass - different graphics
interfaces (languages, procedural interfaces, GUIs, none) for
displaying on the screen and many translation paths into PostScript
to print on the now ubiquitous laser printers.

Now see NeWS and NeXT/Display PostScript - we have new graphics
interfaces that are based in PostScript. No less of a morass
overall but now we have some computer environments with less
translating going on. Being a NeXT user I appreciate not having to
translate (and having developed a commercial Macintosh program
I know how difficult it can get).

Question 1: Are there computers other than NeXT (DPS), SGI (NeWS),
and Sun (NeWS) that create graphics for the computer screens in
PostScript - real, planned, or mythical?

Question 2: What is the Adobe pricing and licensing structure that
seems to inhibit more companies from doing this?

Question 3: Has anyone modified a display-list graphics package
to produce PS code (e.g., PHIGS)? If so, please quantify the
associated effort.

Thankyou in advance and if warranted a summary will be posted.

Mark R. Thomsen