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From: braner@batcomputer.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Laser printer
Message-ID: <202@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: Wed, 18-Feb-87 01:42:30 EST
Article-I.D.: batcompu.202
Posted: Wed Feb 18 01:42:30 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Feb-87 04:06:42 EST
References: <8702051433.AA26615@inria.UUCP> <4271@utah-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: braner@batcomputer.UUCP (braner)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 16
Summary: RAMless printer = low price + flexibility

[]

My understanding of the rumors is that the Atari laser printer will have
no internal RAM, and of course neither Postscript nor ANY driver built-in.
That's to make it cheap.  Since the ST has that super-fast DMA port, there's
no problem driving the printer hardware directly.  The ST will be tied up
while you print, though (even if you have a multi-tasking OS, running the
laser printer would take up most of the ST's processing power).

Inside the ST you can then have any driving software you want.  With enough
RAM you can have a full-blown bitmap, otherwise do some tricks...  This
flexibility may end up being a big advantage.  I won't be surprised,
though, if somebody will come out with a "black-box" stand-alone hardware
device (with 2 Meg RAM!) to drive the printer with.

- Moshe Braner