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From: jwhitnell@cup.portal.com (Jerry D Whitnell)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Public plotters in open campus labs?
Message-ID: <27210@cup.portal.com>
Date: 22 Feb 90 05:39:04 GMT
References: <1880@naucse.UUCP> <2229@ultb.isc.rit.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 38

"-Eric, one of over a hundred UCC lab assistants" writes...
|In article <1880@naucse.UUCP> jdc@naucse.UUCP (John Campbell) writes:
|>I guess we're considering offering plotters in our campus PC labs,
|>but we're looking for some ideas or experiences that others have
|>had with these devices.
|
|   Here at RIT we have about 3-4 HP-type plotters.
|    They are small 8.5x11 or 11x17 plotters with 6 color felt-tip pens.
|...
|    This appears to be due to difficulty making the plotter an automated
|    process.  They have to be hand-fed paper and the person needs to be
|    logged onto the connected terminal to send the file to the plotter.
|...
|	I believe that the plotters are maintained by some contract, but the
|	main problem is in keeping pen and paper supplies up to snuff.

Caveat - I write the following as an employee of Da Vinci Graphics (in
case its not obvious).

We at Da Vinci just started shipping the RasterPro 720, an A/B size HP 7475A
compatible penless plotter.  With the optional bin-feeder, it would solve
all of the problems you describe above.  It uses a standard four-color printer
ribbon which gives a couple of hundard plots before it needs to be replaced
( the number of course depends on the quality of the plot you).  The bin feeder
can support either A or B size (or with the dual-bin feeder both sizes). It
can be configured for either serial or parallel, the latter giving a
significant speed enhancement.  Speed of the plotter is typically 2 to 10
times the speed of the 7475A, with the ratio getting bigger as the plot
complexity increases.  If you (or anyone else) wants more information,
email me you smail address and I'll send you a litature package.

[We now return you to your reguarly scheduled comp.graphics.]

--
Jerry Whitnell                    Several Species of Small Furry
jwhitnell@cup.portal.com          Animals Gathered Together in a
..!sun!cup.portal.com!jwhitnell   Cave and Grooving with a PICT.
                                  -- Pink Floyd