🚀 go-pugleaf

Various contributors have alleged:

>>>> dude that just means its a postscript printer

>>>> >The HP 5MP is the Mac version of the printer, I am sure that you mean
>>>> >the 5P with your PC. ....

>>The M is apparently for Mac, but it really means that it has PS and a
>>Mac interface. It ALSO runs PCL and PS from a PC. 

>So why does the Standard 5P have the Mac connector??? The only
>difference is the Postscript option and more memory between the two
>printers.. The M I'm sure is purely coincidental..

Ok, for the trivia handicapped:

The 5P and 5MP printers are physically the same machine.
Both have a LocalTalk port for connection to the Macintosh; an
IrDA-compliant infrared port; and two, independent, parallel ports
with which it is recommended you use an IEEE-1284 compliant cable
for best overall performance.  The physical connectors for the
parallel ports are one B-type [large, traditional] and one C-type
[small and damned hard to locate a cable for!].  The C-type offers
IEEE-1284 II (level 2) electrical interfacing to support cables up
to 10 metres long (versus 3 metres for the normal B-type).

As stated, the parallel ports are independent (indeed, I think all
four ports are independent) and we have one connected to a black box
network connection to share the printer and one connected directly
to the adjacent PC as lpt1: on the PC.

So what's the difference?

Well, the 5P "uses HP's authentic Enhanced PCL 5  ... a printer
language that is standard for desk-top laser printing in PC operating
environments, such as MS Windows or DOS."

The 5MP "also includes the Adobe PostScript Level 2 printer language
used with Apple's Macintosh and is popular in areas such as publishing."

So maybe the "M" refers to "Macintosh PS"?  Who knows!  In any case,
you are certainly not restricted to using a Mac if you need to use
PS on the 5MP.  For example, using WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS, I can
specify PostScript as the option for "print to file" and then simply
COPY that file to the 5MP which automatically recognises the PS format
and prints the file as you expect.  (Of course, you can also do this
more directly from WP by correctly specifying the printer.  8-)

Cheers,  Ian S.
-- 

Ian Staples                        MS-Mail: staplesi@dpi.qld.gov.au
c/- P.O. Box 1054 MAREEBA          Phone  : +61 (0)70 928 555 Home 924 847
Queensland Australia 4880            Fax  : +61 (0)70 923 593   "   "   "