Conference 7.286::macintosh

959.0. "LaserWriter 8.4.1 / printing on PCI Macs" by STAR::GOLDSTEIN (Andy Goldstein, VMS Development) Thu Apr 17 1997 17:51

So, has anyone mustered the courage to install LaserWriter 8.4.1? I downloaded
it the other day, read the ReadMe files and got scared by the long list of apps
that don't work in some way. Is it really as bad as it looks or is this fringe
stuff?

I was hoping 8.4.1 might fix the printing problems I've had on my 7200/90
(currently running LW 8.3.4 under 7.5.5 with the inerrupt extension). I've found
the desktop print monitor to be extremely fragile, especially when printing jobs
with a lot of data per page like bitmap images. If I try to do anything else
while the print monitor is running, it's likely to hang. (I'm printing on a
DEClaser 5100, which blinks an LED as long as it's receiving data.)

The only way to get a large print job out with any degree of reliability is to
go completely hands off the machine while the print monitor is running. I don't
dare even quit the app I printed from. Hardly what you'd call successful
background printing.

Also, the print monitor seems to be completely incapable of restarting jobs at
any place other than page 1. I tried this once (trying to restart a hung print
job). The print monitor crashed, and then proceeded to crash as soon as it
started after each reboot. I had to boot with extensions off and delete the
print queue to get the machine back to life.

I've been using it at work for months on a PowerBook and a desktop system, 
and at home (since latest release of CFM68K) with no problems other than 
that DynoPage no longer works on my home system.

In the Extensions folder, do a Get Info on "Desktop PrintMonitor" and 
significantly boost the memory size (I have it at 966 on my work desktop 
system and 768 on my PowerBook).

I've also moved the standard PrintMonitor to Extensions (disabled) on all my 
systems.

How are you connected to the DEClaser? If via ethernet, is it possible yours 
is one of the 7200/90's which have/had ethernet problems? (serial #'s listed 
in some note in JAMIN::VMS-FOR-MAC and in ABBOTT::MACINTOSH_OFFICE (search 
for 7200).

    
    I've had 8.4.1 installed on two PCI based Macs for a long time and have
    had no problems - other than the DynoPage problem noted in the previous
    reply. My solutions was to create a desktop printer running V7.x LW and
    select it for DynoPage printing. (I recently purchased LaserMerge and
    when I get around to it I'll install that to replace DynoPage)
    
    Mario

Re .1 -

You mean 966K, right? Wow - that's a significant boost. I'd heard about the
memory size issue and had doubled the memory size, but I was nowhere this
far. I'll try that. Thanx for the feedback (also .2).