Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!gatech!udel!rochester!kodak!pcid!mark
From: mark@pcid.UUCP (mark hilliard)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Eroff and HPdeskjet
Message-ID: <114@pcid.UUCP>
Date: 24 Aug 88 22:19:18 GMT
Reply-To: mark@pcid.UUCP (mark hilliard)
Organization: Eastman Kodak, (Kp) Rochester, N.Y.
Lines: 26



I have been using the Deskjet printer for several months now with
Elan's Eroff package.  It leaves a LOT to be desired.  HP has advertised
the Deskjet as a low cost alternative to a Laserjet printer, but this is
misleading.  The Deskjet will NOT do reverse line feeds past 1 or
2 lines, thus will NOT do ANY type of graphics other than a 
rasterized image from the top down.  I am really upset with HP for putting
out 1/2 of a printer (I'm told that HP did this to avoid impacting their
Laserjet II sales).  Elan provides version 2.2 of Eroff with 
Deskjet support, but the only things that you can do is standard 
text printing with font cart's or downloadable fonts (which you can only
use 1/2 of because Elan didn't build Eroff to take advantage of all of the
Deskjet's abilities for softfonts.  If all you are going to do is use the
Deskjet for GOOD quality text printing then Eroff and the  Deskjet is for 
you, but if you want to use pic, grap, tbl, or ANY other troff 
pre-processor with the Deskjet and Eroff forget it.


Come on guys (HP and Elan), sales could really be booming if you could
put together a TOTAL package for the thousands of people who want 
troff and can't afford the Laserjet printer.

**************************************************************************
Mark Hilliard                   (u1100a,ethos,lazlo)!gizzmo-\
Eastman Kodak                         rutgers!rochester!kodak!pcid!mark