Sun Microsystems Inc reckons that its NeWSprint software for Sparc-based Unix machines lifts workstation printing out of the age of the puny personal computer, which has provided the Unix printing model up to now, and into the powerful workstation age: powerful printers for personal computers have to be intelligent, otherwise the micro grinds to a halt, but Sun reckons the Sparc is powerful enough to handle graphics printing in addition to all its other tasks. The company also added its own Sparcprinter laser printer designed for use with NeWSprint. Sun claims that NeWSprint enables any output device hooked to the Sun system, from matrix, ink jet and laser printers to colour thermal printers and plotters – to produce PostScript-compatible output quickly and cheaply. It works with printers from the likes of Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Mitsubishi, Okidata, Raster Graphics, Seiko, Talaris and Versatec. The new Sparcprinter runs at up to 12 pages a minute with 400 or 300 dots per inch resolution and more fonts, at under half the price of the Sun LaserWriter II it replaces. It links to the Sparcstation 1, 1+ or IPC via an Sbus board. NeWSprint bundles 57 brand name, scalable, outline fonts made using Sun’s F3 font format and costs $700, while the Sparcprinter with NeWSprint and board is $2,700.
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