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From: toby@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Toby Harness)
Newsgroups: net.periphs
Subject: Re: HP LaserJet, a quick look
Message-ID: <217@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Oct-84 15:45:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.217
Posted: Thu Oct 11 15:45:19 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Oct-84 03:39:43 EDT
References: <4434@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science
Lines: 65

> From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)

> The built-in fonts are, uh, limited, and we have yet to see real
> information on what font cartridges are available.

We have the two currently availble font cartridges  ($225 each) -

			Name		orient	pitch	point
(part number 92286A): 
			Courier Bold	port	10	12
			Courier Italic	port	10	12
			Line Printer	land	16.66	8.5

(part number 92286B):
			Helv Bold	port	prop	14.4
			Tms Roman	port	prop	10
			Tms Roman Bold	port	prop	10
			Tms Roman Ital	port	prop	10
			Tms Roman	port	prop	8.0
			Line Printer	land	16.66	8.5

> There are mumbles about math fonts, and we're
> prodding the local HP man about 12-pitch fonts, but no details yet.

I also have heard little more than mumbles about the math font.

> Also, note that you can plug in *one* font cartridge at a time, and each of
> them holds about 3 fonts maximum.

As above, the limt appears to be 6, plus the two that are built in, for a
total of 8.  Plus, with some effort, you can feed it in-line raster-graphics.
An entire font would be a lot of work (for the programer, cpu, and laserjet),
but a few 'extensions' to a standard font would be no real problem.

> A pseudo-typesetter it's not, but with a few more fonts it looks like it
> would make a *dandy* daisywheel replacement.  There is a lot of interest
> hereabouts.

I am sure this is HP`s intention.  Most of the adds I have seen have it
pictured next to an IBM PC.

> The LaserJet *must* have a full 8-bit
> path.  If you can manage to get all the top bits zero, then the only
> major effect will be that the top half of the font will be inaccessible
> and the raster-graphics sequences won't work (they need 8-bit binary data).
> But if your hardware or software insists on using that top bit for parity,
> then you simply can't talk to the LaserJet...
> before you sign a PO, make very
> very sure that your Unix can give you a full 8-bit output path without
> resorting to raw mode (which deprives you of flow control).

But not, of course, with SYS III and later. (Note that HP`s HP-UX is
SYS III/V.)   However, HP did not come up with this to sell to unix sites,
but to offices with a pc or two.  As much as a replacement for dasiywheels,
it is a replacement for dot-matrix, and many of those require 8 bit
data.  In any case, the laserjet has a 56k buffer, and prints at a very
constant 8 ppm, so it should be easy enough to spoon feed it through the
printer daemon if you had to.

> ...Our $400 Geminis will do this, but the $4k LaserJet won't!

Talk to your HP rep; we paid  little more than $2K.

Toby Harness		Ogburn/Stouffer Center, University of Chicago
			...ihnp4!gargoyle!toby