Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Path: utzoo!decvax!bellcore!petrus!sabre!zeta!epsilon!gamma!ulysses!cbosgd!ucbvax!laser-lovers
From: US.ALAN@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Alan Crosswell)
Newsgroups: mod.computers.laser-printers
Subject: Re: Laserwriter input ports
Message-ID: <12171808203.12.US.ALAN@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Date: Wed, 1-Jan-86 13:19:24 EST
Article-I.D.: CU20B.12171808203.12.US.ALAN
Posted: Wed Jan  1 13:19:24 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 2-Jan-86 22:24:08 EST
References: <8512262122.AA01089@gould9>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 27
Approved: laser-lovers@washington.arpa

> When the Apple Laserwriter came out, I heard it was smart enough
> to know when to take input from the DB9 or DB25.  Thus, you could
> share it between your Mac and those horrible IBM folks.

Yes -- it is smart enough to run in RS-232 mode (switch settings
of 9600, 1200, etc.) with input from both ports;  Whichever port
sees a character first is then listened to until an end of job
condition arises (control-D).  Then,  it checks to see if the other
port had anything to say and begins to listen to it and so on.

Meanwhile,  either port will accept a status request (control-T)
and send back a status message that even tells you which port (if any)
it is currently listing to.  However,  you can't "split" modes.
That is,  it won't listen to one port in Appletalk mode and
the other in RS-232 mode.  

Looks like it's time for you to get an Appletalk card for the PC.
I don't recommend the other method of sharing the machine (the one
we use to share between a Vax and appletalk):  we have an office plan
posted with little magnets that stand for the person using the laserwriter
and we reboot it a lot (alternating the switch settings between 9600
and Special)!  (We do have a Kinetics Appletalk-Ethernet bridge on order.)

Alan Crosswell
User Services
Columbia University Computer Center
-------