Re: Apple ][ Workstation Card

[mdj76@tpg.com.au (Matt Jenkins)]

> I had hoped that the Apple IIe would be able to use the Mac volumes and 
> the printers in the same manner that my IIgs does, but so far I cannot 
> use the printers.

The workstation card can work with either an AppleTalk enabled ImageWriter II 
printer or an AppleTalk connected LaserWriter or other PostScript capable laser.

While I've never had an actual LaserWriter plugged into my network, for many
years I've used the netatalk package under Linux to present a LaserWriter 
printer to the network, which the Apple IIe can see and print to.

The reason this works: The workstation card contains an ImageWriter emulator
written in Postscript which is downloaded to a PostScript printer with your
print job. You simply leave your software configured as ImageWriter II connected 
to a SSC in the slot the card is in. IIRC, you can even soft-reboot after logging 
into AppleTalk and print from DOS 3.3, etc. I seem to recall printing banners
in Print Shop using this once.

So if you have newer printers attached to your Mac and shared to the network
that aren't PostScript devices, you're out of luck, short of using a package
like netatalk to expost a virtual PostScript printer to the network.

Cheers,

Matt