NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/vmsnet/sources/d/747

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-12 | 2.7 KB

Xref: sparky vmsnet.sources.d:747 comp.os.vms:20428 comp.dcom.fax:2384
Newsgroups: vmsnet.sources.d,comp.os.vms,comp.dcom.fax
Path: sparky!uunet!usc!cs.utexas.edu!geraldo.cc.utexas.edu!slcs.slb.com!BRYDON@128.58.42.3
From: [e-mail] (Harvey Brydon [phone])
Subject: Re: Laser printer with fax board on VMS
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail] (News Administrator)
Nntp-Posting-Host: 129.87.186.2
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Organization: Schlumberger/Anadrill Sugar Land, TX
References: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 93 11:24:49 GMT
Lines: 37

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] writes:
>I need software to support a laser printer with a fax board on VMS.
>
>The problem is, the printer fax board doesn't allow me to continuously
>retry sending multiple faxes all day until they get through or the
>retry count is exceeded.
>
>Here are the specifics:
>- prefer PD/Shareware or under $1000
>- OK if some assembly required, but we don't want to spend enourmous
>  quantities of development dollars on this
>- symbiont must be able to talk with non-DEC Postscript 2 printer
>  (NEC Silentwriter 2 -- Model 97fx) with a fax board
>  - OK if product does not support fax if it is user-configurable to
>    receive arbitrary messages from the printer and perform actions
>    based on message content (e.g. mail notification if "fax retries
>    exceeded")
>- would like to be able to poll fax success/failure and requeue
>  print job to retry at intervals until retries exceeded
>- need interactive notification of job success or failure due
>  to retries exceeded

Hihowzigoanay?  Having just gone through an approximation to this myself, I
can give you a few things not to bother with.  DEC's CPS software won't work
for you without a lot of trouble.  I've done some work with an NEC
Silentwriter 95 (but addressing none of the FAX issues).  Several man-weeks of
effort later, it prints.  Kind of.  Gray Matter Software from somewhere around
Washington state has a postscript symbiont, which is about $1500.  There is a
symbiont called LASER that somebody else on this list will likely mention.  It
ships with sources.  I believe it is mentioned in the FAQ info.  DEC has a
follow-on product to CPS, called DCPS, which may work better with 'foreign'
printers than CPS.  It was announced in November.  I have a copy on order, but
haven't seen it yet.
_______________________________________________________________
Harvey Brydon         | Internet:   [e-mail]
Dowell Schlumberger   | P.O.T.S.:   [phone]
Software is like sex.  Software for free costs more than software for money.