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From: stew@lhasa.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.laser-printers
Subject: (none)
Message-ID: <8608080210.AA25485@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 5-Aug-86 23:44:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8608080210.AA25485
Posted: Tue Aug  5 23:44:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Aug-86 06:39:12 EDT
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Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Approved: laser-lovers@washington.arpa

Bob Knight <KNIGHT@SRI-NIC.ARPA> writes:
>After reading the previous message and responses to the query from the
>person at Wharton, and reading this message, specifically:
>
>	"You should also check into which Subset of Interpress each printer
>	 actually supports."
>
>...I am tempted to say that Xerox deserves the fate that they apparently
>wish upon themselves:  absolute failure in the general computing market.
>Perhaps I am mistaken, but is it not true that the cost of speed in
>a printing engine is the mechanics, not in the electronics?  If so, then
>one would assume that the electronics (except those that drive the 
>mechanics) would be roughly the same cost from the bottom to top of the
>line, and, therefore, should support pretty much the same page description
>language.
>
>Adobe seems to be able to do that across a wide performance range of 
>engines, why can't Xerox?

I love postscript, and wish this weren't true, but:

Adobe hasn't done that, that I've seen.  The fastest PostScript printer
available now that know of is the DataProducts 26ppm unit, and it can't
get close to that speed except in multiple-copy-per-image operation.
Likewise, I've never seen my Apple LaserWriter come close to the 8ppm
that the engine is rated except likewise in multiple copy mode.  The
Linotron phototypesetters can take many, many minutes per page.

The DEC PS-40 isn't here yet, and even that, with a dedicated microvax,
won't come near the super fast top-of-the-line xerox and IBM laser
printers.  Anyone know how fast this baby really prints?

Do you know of a high speed PS printer, Bob?