HP 4L LaserPrinter
16 messages in this thread
Can anybody comment on the HP4L laser printer. Can I get a BiTronics port
driver for it for an Amiga 2000 or 3000? All comments are appreciated.
Les Deck
Amiga driver for the HP 4L is available in the Studio printer software.
The driver allows control of features like RET, Timeout,… of the 4L.
Thanks to a closer relationship with HP, you can expect there is an Amiga
driver in the Studio package by the time a new HP printer gets released.
So we do have the same status on the Amiga as PC or Mac users have.
Though, it's not for free.
No, BiTronics is currently not supported by the Amiga Centronics port. The
Amiga port does not support 3 control lines required by BiTronics and
available on nearly all PC Centronic ports.
So, you can't either send out data fast nor can you receive data from the
printer. I also contacted other Centronic-Ports makers and so far: none of
them offers a Bi-Tronics port nor device driver.
Anyway, you can expect we are working on a port of the HP Explorer
software for the Amiga (surely… this version will be better than the MS
Dos version – bah! ,-). And because we are working on such a software for
the Amiga, you can be sure there will be a BiTronics device for the Amiga
this year. Though, you won't get it for free…
Ok, enough info for the 4L<->Amiga? Questions?
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
Questions, you said. OK.
Can you enlarge a bit on your reference to the HP Explorer Software?
By the way, Click in Wilrijk has kindly lent me Studio so that I can write
a review of it in Computer Magazine (that's the title). Nice product. I
shall be asking Arxon if I can test the switchbox with Studio and Parnet
and put it all in the one article. I assume you would you like a copy of
the issue containing the review. Would you prefer the Dutch or French
version?
Pete Jones flying on AutoPilot from Brussels, Belgium
1. It's funny. I know many users actually buying interface cards because
they want to have a scanner and a printer conected to their printer and
still have software problems controling the extra port. The arXon switch
box is a nice and 100% compatible way for automatic use of up to 3
connected items. Also, what most arXon switchbox users don't know is, that
the box is not just a simply built like other boxes. It supports high
speeds, all cables and is bi-directional. So you can use it even for
bi-tronics (though, the Amiga port is not yet capable of bi-tronics).
All I wish is, that the switchbox would be equiped with 6 ports, so I
could connect all the printers I'm currently using…
Let me know if I can be of any help getting a device for the review. arXon
is 5km from me and the software for the box was written by a friend of
mine…
2. I now have setup software for the laserjet 4 series. This is surely a
nice thing for the panelless 4L printer.
3. let me know your address and I send you the latest Studio version for
testing. I have sent Click! version 1.11 (see the readme file). Did you
get that one? If not, let me know your serial no. and you get a new copy
(including the new Panasonic KX-P 2023 and Laserjet 4 setup software).
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
Wolf:
What is bitronics? never heard of it.
// -Mike Schiller
\X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale
Bitronics is for electrons that have no specific preference of sex.
–Paul < Motorola Inside >
as opposed to dildonics.
Pete
Bitronics is the new parallel interface standard developed by HP and now
also defined as ISO standard. It allows faster sending of data to the
printer and also defines various ways to receive data from the printer.
This allows software to control and setup the printer. You don't need any
expensive front panel on the printer.
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
Wolf,
Doesn't the Bitronic standard seem a bit stupid? I mean, most folks that
own Macs and Amigas (as well as an increasing number of PCs) already have
a fast parallel standard – SCSI.
Can't understand HP…and I really hope that their "standard" fails
miserably.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
Well, Jonathan… we surely know what real standards are for… but I
doubt the average PC user do 😉
Sure, SCSI would be fine… but the Amiga doesn't support printing to SCSI
and SCSI does cost to much money for the average PC user. Also, Bi-Tronics
does have some nice things and I doubt you get into speed trouble soon
with a real Bi-Tronics interface (rather your computer or the printer is
too slow). But I agree… I would love to have a real ethernet or scsi
connected printer… but well, you can buy an ethernet port for the
laserjet if you really want speed without watching for the costs…
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
Wolf,
I use a SCSI laser printer on my Amiga. It was introduced by CLtd a now
defunct Amiga company. The printer and my scanner both connect to the SCSI
host/adapter called KRONOS. It works just fine, but someday I imagine the
PAL on the KRONOS will fry somehow (firmware instructions for printer) and
I'll be buying a new non-SCSI printer. Of course the printer is really LED
not laser. It is a GCC PLP-I which uses a RICOH 6000 engine. (General
Computer Corp Personal Laser Printer I)
The other interesting thing that came with the printer was something
called Virtual Page. This printer is a brain-dead device, it depends on
the computer to rasterize the entire image into ram before the marking
engine begins to run. Once it prints it takes over the computer for a few
seconds until the page is printed, but it prints fast, no waiting minutes
for a bitmap graphic to print 8-1/2 x 11 inches.
I had always hoped that someone else would continue with the virtual page
concept. Maybe you'd find it interesting to fool around with a bit?
Chris
Yep, I know that Virual Page thing done by Kronos. Actually, when Kronos
died a german company called IM bought all that stuff for a bargain. Now,
IM is pretty close to me and I know some guys from them…
I don't like the idea of a "stupid" printer. Yes, it does seem cheap, but
it isn't. The Kronos thing hasn't been cheap nor does the Next/Atari
printer really offer a cheap solution. Also, it's better to have some
intelligence in the printer… it does speedup things!
Back to Laserjet and SCSI. Those who really want's fast data transfer to
the Laserjet printer now, can buy a JetDirect Ethernet card from HP and a
A2065 card from Commodore. The main question is software. I don't know the
HP MIO card, but maybe someone here has enough knowlegde what actually is
required for printing through the MIO Ethernet card (in general, if
possible Amiga).
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
I think a lot depends on how much you actually use the printer. Reducing the
cycles used in the CPU is a great idea when speaking of a hard drive, or a
printer that is used a lot. For occasional use, however, putting a dumb printer
out there and using something like 'post' is a cheap solution indeed. When you
consider the price of a printer like the Oki 400, it's well worth it for those
of us who might only print 20 or 30 pages per month.
-larry
Wolf,
It seems to me that if HP threw the same effort behind SCSI instead of
Bitronics, it would become a standard even faster. Think how wonderful it
would be for the poor PC sap that is constrained by interrupts and the
like, to be able to use one interface for hard drives, CD-ROM, printer,
tape, removeable, etc…
Perhaps the Macheads have it right 🙂
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
On PCs they use Ethernet!
— Wolf Faust, Am Dorfgarten 10, 6000 Frankfurt 50, Germany —
Wolf,
I'd appreciate your help in getting a box from Arxon. A personal approach
is always better than a fax from a stranger. If the company would like
confirmation that I am what I say I am, the telephone number of Computer
Magazine in Brussels is +32 2 217 530, ask for Ron Schuermans.
Click! gave me version 1.10 (from the readme file).
Serial number is E278.
My address is:
mechelsesteenweg 153
1933-STERREBEEK
Belgium
Many thanks
Pete Jones flying on AutoPilot from Brussels Belgium
P.S.
You didn't tell me what the HP explorer software was!