Re: LaserWriter Help!

[Randy Shackelford <shack@onyx.southwind.net>]

Paul Schultz <pschultz@med.wayne.edu> wrote:

[big snip]

: Well, we've all learned that nothing is impossible with an Apple II :-)
: But, the QuickDraw these printers are expecting is the QuickDraw code
: from the Mac. The IIgs uses QuickDraw II which while similar to the
: QuickDraw on the Mac in concept is actually quite different and would
: be incompatible if sent to a QuickDraw interpreter in one of these
: printers.

There is no "interpreter" for QD in these printers. The printer software
has to rasterize whatever is being printed (keep in mind everything is
graphical on Macs) then tell the printer where to place dots on the
page. Think of it as if it were an IW II. The software has to move the
head just so and tell what pin to strike the ribbon etc to print on one
of those. Stylewriter printers work the same way, hence even the original
SW, which does work on a IIgs, can only print from native software via
the print manager. But with PS printers, you can download the IW emulator
and print from 8 bit software which expects to send only characters and
control codes, since there is actually some smarts in there.
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