Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!sri-spam!sri-unix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!sansom From: sansom@trwrb.UUCP (Richard Sansom) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: CES News Message-ID: <1519@trwrb.UUCP> Date: Sun, 11-Jan-87 20:04:20 EST Article-I.D.: trwrb.1519 Posted: Sun Jan 11 20:04:20 1987 Date-Received: Tue, 13-Jan-87 05:09:33 EST References: <2135@felix.UUCP> <1517@trwrb.UUCP> <1518@trwrb.UUCP> Reply-To: sansom@trwrb.UUCP (Richard Sansom) Organization: TRW EDS, Redondo Beach, CA Lines: 43 Low-cost Atari Laser Printer Promises "Revolution" in Desktop Publishing Las Vegas, NV Jan. 8 -- A prototype laser printer, being demonstrated by Atari here at CES, will form the basis for a full- featured desktop publishing system costing less than half the price of systems built around competing architectures. Designed to interface with Atari's ST line of high-performance personal computers, the new laser printer will be taken to market later this year at the astoundingly low price of around $1500. "Desktop publishing" -- the use of personal computers to produce high-quality printed matter -- has become a burgeoning industry over the past two years. Powerful, graphics-oriented personal computers such as the Atari ST are now routinely used in typesetting, page design, paste-up, and -- in combination with high-resolution laser printers -- for producing high-quality, "camera ready" output. However, largely because the price of laser printers has remained high, the cost of a desktop publishing system is still out of reach for many. By redesigning the standard laser printer to take advantage of the power latent in the ST line -- particularly the new Mega STs -- Atari hopes to make full-featured desktop publishing a reality at less than $3000 for a complete system; about what a conventional laser printer costs today. Designed to interface with the ST's high-speed DMA (Direct Memory Access) port and incorporating a standard laser "engine," the Atari laser printer will produce rapid throughput at 300 dots-per-inch resolution. Though technical details have not yet been revealed, Shiraz Shivji, head of Atari's hardware engineering division, states that Atari "has designed an admirably flexible system that includes all the advantages and few of the disadvantages of present laser printer architectures. The printer will be able to handle multiple fonts and standard page-description languages at the discretion of software. Moreover, adapting present software to use the laser printer's full capabilities should be fairly simple, providing such software has been written in conformance with GEM standards." -- __________ ______ ____ _____ ___ /_________//___ ||__|/____|/__/ Richard E. Sansom ___ ____/ / ____________ TRW Electronics & Defense Sector / / / /\ < | /| / One Space Park Drive, R3/1028 / / / / \ \ | / | / Redondo Beach, CA 90278 /__/ /__/ \__\|__/ |__/ ...{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!trwrb!sansom