Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!labrea!decwrl!sun!tim@ora.UUCP From: tim@ora.UUCP (Tim O'Reilly) Newsgroups: comp.text.desktop Subject: Re: dumb vs. smart laser printers Message-ID: <27647@sun.uucp> Date: Thu, 10-Sep-87 13:22:49 EDT Article-I.D.: sun.27647 Posted: Thu Sep 10 13:22:49 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 12-Sep-87 10:12:39 EDT Sender: news@sun.uucp Distribution: comp Organization: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Newton, MA Lines: 32 Approved: desktop-request%plaid@sun.com There are many things that you can do with PostScript that are much harder to do with a printer that doesn't have a page description language. However, you do surmise correctly that the main difference for the casual user is in the range of fonts and sizes that are available. The original LaserJet was very limited in the fonts that it supported. The later versions support downloadable fonts, but generally in a smaller range of sizes (i.e. you get certain sizes and not others) vs. PostScript, in which all fonts are scalable to whatever size you want (at least up to 127 point). And yes, the LaserJet is much faster than the LaserWriter, and is probably preferable if you are doing simple stuff. We switched to the LaserWriter because PostScript made it easier to include Mac illustrations etc. into troff documents (you can do bitmaps on the LaserJet, but not PostScript pictures) and because with PostScript we could go right from the LaserWriter to typesetting on our Linotronic L100 typesetter. -- Tim O'Reilly (617) 527-4210 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Publishers of Nutshell Handbooks 981 Chestnut Street, Newton, MA 02164 UUCP: uunet!ora!tim ARPA: tim@ora.uu.net ---------------------------------------- Submissions to: desktop%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop Administrivia to: desktop-request%plaid@sun.com -OR- sun!plaid!desktop-request Paths: {ihnp4,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sun Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM Delphi: CHUQ We live and learn, but not the wiser grow -- John Pomfret (1667-1703)