-=> Quoting mark lewis to Jonathan de Boyne Pollard, [28 Sep 97  20:06:06] 
<=-
 JdBP> If the term "Windows printer" means nothing more than that
 JdBP> printer technology has regressed to the level of early 1980s
 JdBP> dot-matrix printers once again, then there's no cause for all
 JdBP> of the worrying that people are doing about this.
 ml> the term "windows printer" is analogous with the term "winmodem"...
 ml> that should make the point =very= clear...
 ml> to get a bit more detailed, think of it this way... they removed the
 ml> processor et al and are using software emulation for the printer
 ml> processor and related components...
Not necessarily.  Take the case of the Okidata 4W (I believe?).  It's a
laser page printer, which will only work under Win. BUT this printer
uses a more capable (1284??) cable to establish two-way communication
with the OS.  In so doing, it only needs 256k internal memory, since it
makes use of the HDD within the Win machine, where it will use as much
as 40mb of disk space = memory.  I got one for my son, who needs WFWG
where he teaches, and he loves it.  I had long wondered why printers
could not make use of System memory for their needs, rather than to have
to buy more memory for a printer.  So in this instance, I would not at
all find this analogous (but similar) to a win-modem.  But you are free
to see it that way if you want.  I find a printer that can use system
memory to be an idea whose time has come.  Good Modeming!  /\oo/\
... NetMail: 1:382/1201 or E-mail: bat.lang@1201.ima.infomail.com
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