Printing over AppleTalk

["John E. Townsend" <utownje@lexis-nexis.com>]

What types of printers can a IIgs print to on an AppleTalk network?  The
only ones I'm aware of are the Imagewriter II (with LocalTalk option),
the various Postscript Laserwriters, and possibly the original
Stylewriter.  Are there any AppleTalk drivers for non-Apple printers? 
I'd be particularly interested in printing to an HP DeskWriter 680C, but
it apparently only works (with the Harmonie drivers) with a direct
serial port connection.  Someone at Vitesse told me that Harmonie *only*
supports the DeskJets with a parallel connection, but the A2 FAQ seems
to say otherwise:

  --HP DeskJet (or DeskWriter) Ink-Jet--
  DeskJet        (Manual states all DeskJet and DeskJet 5xx drivers
  DeskJet 500C    work with DeskWriter series of the same number
  DeskJet 520     using the high speed Printer 57.6 serial port
  DeskJet 550C    driver included with on the disk)
  DeskJet 560C *560C driver is compatible with DJ/DW 600C and 660C
                printers. The DJ 400 is like th DJ 600C. The DJ 560C
                driver is listed as a 600x300dpi one whereas all the
                rest are 300x300dpi. [Other models like the 680C/682C
                should work also.]

Anyhow, why does it seem to be so difficult to write an AppleTalk
printer driver for the IIgs that only Apple can do it?

--
John E. Townsend           /  "Life is real! Life is earnest!
Sr. Software Engineer      \   And the grave is not its goal.
Development Services       /   'Dust thou art, to dust returnest'
LEXIS-NEXIS                \   Was not spoken of the soul."
utownje@lexis-nexis.com    /     -- H.W. Longfellow, "A Psalm of Life"