Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!ucbvax!SMILEY.STANFORD.EDU!geof
From: geof@SMILEY.STANFORD.EDU (Geof Cooper)
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: Re: HP LJ II/IIP questions
Keywords: HP, Laserjet, IBM Proprinter emulation
Message-ID: <9001051615.AA07666@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>
Date: 29 Dec 89 01:43:26 GMT
References: <8912262206.AA05615@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Stanford University, Stanford Ca.
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Approved: laser-lovers@brillig.umd.edu


In article <8912262206.AA05615@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU> fayne@tellab5.TELLABS.COM (Jeffrey Fayne) writes:
>	   Am I really getting a II albeit at a slower speed ?
Yes.  In fact, the IIP implements some interesting PCL commands that
are not present in the older 'II.  I played with one for a while, and
it is great.
>
>	2) Why didn't HP allow for Proprinter/Epson emulation in the II ? What
>	   is necessary to allow my PC to do Epson compatible graphics (ie
>           graphics mode screen dumps)?  
Need to translate to PCL (LJ language).  There is a probably a shareware
package to do this.  More probably your existing application already knows
about the LJ.
>
>	3) What does it take to do Postscript emulation. Can I use postscript
>	   compatible programs and features on the LJ with this capability?
There are three ways to do this on a II, two of which work on a IIP.  The
thing you CAN'T do is buy a PC plug-in card like the QMS JetScript to upgrade.
There is no video interface to the IIP's marking engine.  The alternatives
left are:
	[1] Wait and buy the HP cartridge product when available.  This
will convert the machine (which must be loaded with memory, don't forget
that cost) to be a PS printer, Adobe (TM).  I'm sure it will work great,
but the speed will not be great, since it uses the existing 8-10MHz
68000 that is in the IIP.  The cost brings the total price of the printer
up to overlap with the lowest cost postscript printers, too.

	[2] Use a software RIP.  There are at least three products that
run under DOS that process PS files and print them on the LaserJet:
		- QMS UltraScript PC
		- Freedom of the Press
		- GoScript
Two of these start at about $200.  QMS UltraScript PC has the added feature
that it knows about the LaserJet IIP specifically, and sends compressed bitmaps
to it instead of fully-expanded ones.  This can improve speed quite a bit.
I am biased to that one since I worked on it.  It will take about 1.5 minutes
per page to print, allowing 1 minutes for processing and .5 minutes for
printing.  The others will take about 3 minutes, since uncompressed bitmaps
take about 2 min/page.  Your mileage may vary, and the other guys will
eventually figure out the IIP.

This approach requires that you buy a memory upgrade for the LJ.

- Geof