Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!dasys1!jab
From: jab@dasys1.UUCP (Jeff A Bowles)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: what PS printers are HP compatible
Summary: Probably not the NEC ones, that's for sure.
Keywords: purchase decision
Message-ID: <9768@dasys1.UUCP>
Date: 23 May 89 14:17:53 GMT
References: <778@jonlab.UUCP> <776@cbnewsc.ATT.COM> <779@jonlab.UUCP>
Reply-To: jab@dasys1.UUCP (Jeff A Bowles)
Organization: The Big Electric Cat
Lines: 52

In article <779@jonlab.UUCP> jon@jonlab.UUCP (Jon H. LaBadie) writes:
>In article <776@cbnewsc.ATT.COM>, vpg@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (venu.p.gopal) writes:
>responds to my request for info on HP compatible PS printers with:
>> 
>> Why not get your latter group also to use postscript (on the PC's) ?
>> WordPerfect supports postscript, so does Lotus 1-2-3 and almost all major
>> applicartions software now for the PC.  Using some sort of LAN, you should
>> even be able to use a single printer for both mainframes and PCs (we do
>> that at our site).
>> 

Well, some stuff just wants an HP, period. It's sad, but it's true,
and Jon seems to be dealing with that grim fact. So, some companies
offer "HP-compatibility" with their "Postscript" printer.

Now, I have to tell you about one experience with a company that
vends such a printer. I have the little brother to such a beast,
that is, I have an NEC Silentwriter LC-800, which is:
    a. Two sheet feeders
    b. "HP-compatible"
    c. In some fashion, at some point, can be upgraded to the LC-890
       which is Postscript and still HP-compatible.
I assume that the LC-890 uses the same software for its HP-compatibility
as the LC-800, which is why I'm posting this.

The LC-800 "HP-compatibility" turns out to be "it interprets graphics
and bitmaps that are formatted for an HP Laserjet, and interprets some
text formatting information destined for the HP Laserjet. It doesn't
understand most HP Softfonts I've tried, supplies font cartridges that
are different character widths/shapes from the corresponding HP cartridges,
and provides different combinations of typefaces in their cartridges than
you'd find in the corresponding HP cartridges."

In short, if the LC-890's HP-compatibility is like the LC-800's, you
can't rely on it for detailed features on the Laserjet, like "formatting
text". I run Elan's troff on a Laserjet II with the HP Softfonts, and like
it a lot, but can't easily use this "HP-compatibility" on an available LC-800
because of what I detail above.

And the secretaries using the LC-800 don't like the shape of the characters.
(That struck me as strange, but it's like me bitching about the feel
of a new keyboard, I suppose. Everything else can be right, but if that one
thing isn't right, I'll notice.)


	Jeff Bowles

ps. If you're stuck using troff, look into Elan's product. Good stuff.
-- 
Jeff A Bowles
Big Electric Cat Public UNIX
..!cmcl2!{ccnysci,cucard,hombre}!dasys1!jab