6 Apr
2005
6 Apr
'05
4:35 p.m.
Looking around the local salvation army, I spotted a LaserWriter plus.
I've searched the archives and discovered it's a PostScript enabled laser
printer with RS-442 interface. It seems. No disucssion of the "plus"
specifically. If it helps, there was a DB-25, a DE-9 and small (4? 6?)
dip switch on the back (that I remember, I don't remember any mini-DIN).
I'd be interested in having a "real" postscript printer. But I'd like
to
test it before buying.
- Is there a way to print a test page w/o pluging into a computer?
IIRC it's based on the Canon CX engine. In which case there should be an
engine test button above the connector panel. Pressing that will get it
to print a page of vertical lines. That proves the mechanism is working,
and the 'DC controller board', but doesn't tekk you anything about the
state of the formatter board.
- Can this be interface to a straight PC? If the DB-25 is RS-232, I'd
assume so.
Yes.
- Is toner readily available?
If I'm right that it's a CX engine, the toner is next-to-impossible to
get. Canon stopped making toner cartridges for this machine about 6 years
ago. There were trade-in deals IIRC from Canon and HP, but they weren't a
lot of use if what you had was a CX-VDO (the formetter-less version,
direct interface to the DC controller, used on some workstations like the
PERQ).
I can tell you how to repair the CX engine should you decide to get it...
-tony