🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi,

we're looking around too, and have found the Tektronix Phaser machines to
be pretty good value for money.  There are two lower level machines, the 
Phaser II series featuring the PXe and the PXi.  My local rep got me
totally confused concerning the various merits of these two devices, but a
kind gentleman at Tek has enlightened me: the two are essentially identical
except one is driven at a higher frequency than the other, and has less
ROM'd fonts.  

Each printer renders at 300 dpi, onto thermal wax paper, and before you
groan it's not that bad, it also has the transparency capability, and IMHO
the transparencies looked better than the paper hardcopy.  The PXe goes for
around $5500 with educational discount (printer, supplies and warranty)
while the PXi goes for more like $7000.

These guys have a big brother called the Phaser III.  This is a nice
machine that uses solid ink technology, and prints onto any regular piece
of paper.  It's actually slower than the Phaser II's in terms of
pages/minute, and costs somewhere around $13000.  It's a nice printer, but
we couldn't justify the extra cost.

All these systems are communicated with through either a serial or parallel
interface, and can be connected to the Ethernety in such a way as to make
quite respectable data transfer rates achievable.  This side of it I was
clueless about until our friend at Tek brought me up to speed on the
options available.

PS.  All these systems use PS Level 2 - despite my rep's claims to the
contrary.  FYI we're still trying to decide between the two PX machines but
are leaning towards the cheaper option since speed is not imperative.

Hope this is at least a little educational, and if I've goobered anywhere
here pleaser post and tell me so - I'm no expert in this stuff.

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Paul A. Scowen				INTERNET: scowen@bigbang.la.asu.edu
Department of Physics & Astronomy		  uk1@spacsun.rice.edu
Arizona State University		Tel:      (602) 965-0938
Tempe, AZ 85287				FAX:      (602) 965-7954
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