Re: Laser Printer recommendations : Appleworks 5.1 PLUS Appletalk/Postscript

Steve:

Given your current requirements (AppleWorks 5.1 / AppleTalk-LocalTalk
possibility), I'd suggest that a fine upgrade (and possibly overkill) from
your DeskJet would be the HP LaserJet 4xxx series.

My personal favorite for use in an environment including Apple II's is the
LaserJet 4050xx series, but any of the current 4xxx models should be just
fine.

I've got (3) of the LaserJet 4050TN models, one of which I picked up on eBay
just last month (with a low page count) for $110.00 plus shipping.

My first 4050xx I purchased in 1999 for well over $1,000.00 and have used it
day in and day out (200,000 + pages) in an office environment with a Mac or
two and have obtained very satisfactory results.

These machines are built like tanks, have readily available repair parts,
reasonably priced 3rd party toner ($50 for 10,000 pages), print TRUE 1200 x
1200 DPI (select ProRes 1200, not FastRes 1200), and speak PCL 5 (including
the HP/GL-2 subset) _and_ PostScript Level 2. In addition, they accept
duplexers (2-sided printing), extra paper bins, envelope feeders, RAM, Flash
RAM and hard drives.

Your AppleWorks DeskJet drivers will work just fine with PCL 5. Anything
that you're doing now will continue, only it will look a _lot_ better.

More importantly, at least in my case when using AppleWorks, is that these
printers support PCL 'macros', which allow you to store items such as forms
and logos in the printers Flash RAM (optional) or hard drive (optional) and
incorporate them into the documents you print directly from AppleWorks with
just a single command sequence.

For example, I store our company's vector-based logo (which was converted to
HP/GL-2 from EPS) as a PCL macro, as well as storing a bunch of
line-character based forms as PCL macros.

When we print an invoice from AppleWorks, the AWP file calls up the PCL
macro for the logo and then the PCL macro for the line form and prints a
great-looking document.

What's "neater" (at least to me) is the PostScript stuff. You can take forms
in .pdf format, fill them in with 'fake' fields, convert them to straight
PostScript, transfer them to an Apple II, change the 'fake' fields to
PostScript variables and copy the changed PostScript files (with the
variables) to the LaserJet's flash RAM.

Then, by using a very short AppleWorks AWP file that first 'throws' the
LaserJet into PostScript mode and populates the variables (either via mail
merge or via 'enter keyboard' EK), you can print out beautiful forms with
very little effort on your 'obsolete' computer. Huge forms print darn near
instantly. Not bad.

Moreover, the Apple II version of Publi***!4 prints just fine to these
printers. While no one with a straight face can compare the Apple II's
Publi***!4 to Adobe's Indesign, I find myself still occasionally using it
either for very simple documents or to print (or modify and print) DTP
documents I created many years ago. I have found the RS-232 serial interface
the best way to use Publi***!4 with the LaserJet.

[FWIW, there's an issue with the standard 'Laserprep' file included with
Publi***!4 that requires deletion of a few lines at the end of the
Laserprep file that are in there soley for use with an Apple-branded
printer. If you get that far into it, let me know and I'll elaborate. Also,
I believe GS/OS 6xxx changed the Laserprep file format completely, so I
don't believe you'll get Publi***!4 to print _directly_ when your machine
is booted into that and you try to use AppleTalk.]

Finally, concerning the LaserJet 4xxx series, here are some pointers:

While the 4000 series and 4050 series include both parallel and RS-232
serial as standard connections, later models replaced the RS-232 with USB.

Since most Apple II's have a serial connection (SSC for the IIe, built-in
serial for the IIc and IIGS), obviously the 4000 and 4050 would not require
any additional items to connect serially.

Fortunately, the LaserJets 4xxx have at least (2) EIO slots for JetDirect
cards, which allow additional interfaces (or a hard drive) to be added at a
reasonable cost, at least on the used market.

For example, should you decide to connect one of these printers to an
AppleTalk/LocalTalk enabled Apple II (e.g. a IIGS or IIe with Workstation
Card), you only need to add the appropriate HP JetDirect Card to the
printer, which is _very_ simple to do.

HP Part# J3111A JetDirect 600N (available on the 'net for $25), adds a
10Base-T, a BNC _and_ an 8-pin LocalTalk port to the printer.

[Tony is correct that should you choose to use AppleTalk while printing from
ProDOS 8 programs, the printer will be using the ImageWriter emulator in
PostScript mode. I'm fairly certain that this output will NOT look as good
as 1200 DPI output in PCL mode, but I haven't tested it myself.]

By adding a different JetDirect Card (HP Part #J3112A) you can add back the
9-pin RS-232 serial port that was replaced starting with the LaserJet 4100.
This serial port would really only be necessary if you wanted to use the
printer with Publi***!4 or with ProTERM for 2-way comm with the PostScript
side of the printer.

When sizing up these machines' model #s, here are the suffix codes.

Suffix 'N' - includes an ethernet network connection (for Macs/PCs/etc)
Suffix 'T' - includes an extra input paper bin (2 + manual feed)
Suffix 'D' - includes a duplexer (can be added later)

I suspect this answer is probably more than you ever wanted to know, but I
hope it helps someone along the way.

Hugh Hood...


in article 503c4a88-947b-473a-9bb3-05677f251d8d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
SHartz40 at SHartz40@xxxxxxxxx wrote on 1/15/09 3:15 PM:

I'm hoping to upgrade my DESKJET printer to a Laser printer and was
wondering what folks currently using a laser recommended (and
why?). I primarily use Appleworks 5.1 with a Deskjet 932C, but it's
awfully slow AND ink cartridges are expensive. Are any of the new
generation laser printers still usable with Appleworks (as well as
Appletalk)? (I may need to eventually create an Appletalk / Ethernet
network). Advantages?
Thanks!

Steve
SHartz40@xxxxxxxxx


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