Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!bsu-cs!mithomas From: mithomas@bsu-cs.UUCP (Michael Thomas Niehaus) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk Subject: Re: IBM PC and the Apple LocalTalk interface card Keywords: LocalTalk, network printing Message-ID: <6301@bsu-cs.UUCP> Date: 23 Mar 89 22:32:31 GMT References: <2295@cit5.cit.oz> <609@gara.une.oz> Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana Lines: 57 In article <609@gara.une.oz>, dheap@gara.une.oz ( PSYS) writes: > In article <2295@cit5.cit.oz> prf@cit5.cit.oz (Paul Freeman) writes: > >I have an Apple LocalTalk interface card in a IBM PC/XT compatible. > >This is connected into a network of Macintoshes and a Laserwriter II NT. > >What I want to do is print directly to the Laserwriter from an application > >running on the IBM (the application can produce Postscript) using Localtalk. > > We do this with TOPS NetPrint. It can intercept a port (e.g. LPT1:) > and redirect output to the network. It will accept postscript, or it will > emulate an IBM or EPSON printer (complete with dip switches!) & will even > support PRINTSCREEN. Automatically performs spooling too. University > price ~$250 from NETCOMM. > > Dave Heap ACSNET: dheap@gara.une.oz Don't rule out AppleShare PC from, of course, Apple. It too can intercept a port (actually several ports, LPT1,LPT2,LPT3,etc.). It emulates the Epson LQ-2500 printer, or it will also let you send just Postscript. It allows you to connect to AppleTalk ImageWriters, as well as LaserWriters. And to top it off, it lets you connect any number of AppleShare file server volumes to your machine (IBM PC or compatible) as well, enabling file sharing between similar applications and dissimilar machines. Sorry, it does not support any print spooling (besides what an application might provide itself), but I wouldn't hold that against it. For the most part, it was meant to communicate with AppleShare file servers and Print Servers (which provide the spooling function), as well as other network printers. I set up several machines here at Ball State that use AppleShare PC. Here is what it looked like: LPT1 was an attached IBM Proprinter XL24 (don't get one of these), LPT2 was the ImageWriter (with Epson LQ2500 emulation), LPT3 was the LaserWriter (with LQ2500 emulation) and LPT4 was the same LaserWriter accepting Postscript. Drive D pointed the the shared applications on the file server, and drive E pointed to a common storage folder on the file server. If memory is a concern, this one is configurable. You tell it how much it can have (within limits -- it needs so much for each connection, and a certain base value that I don't remember). The software no longer uses any interrupts to communicate with the AppleTalk PC board, so no COM devices will interfere. University price for such an item? $89 a copy. I am biased, though, since I do work for Apple, so keep that in mind... -Michael Niehaus p.s. Sorry for the posting. I tried to send a reply directly, but it was returned to me. The original posting appeared in two 'aus' newsgroups that I do not have access to as well as this one. The reply will only go here (of course). -- Michael Niehaus UUCP: !{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!mithomas Apple Student Rep ARPA: mithomas@bsu-cs.bsu.edu Ball State University AppleLink: ST0374 (from UUCP: st0374@applelink.apple.com)