From tdsmith@topeka.cjnetworks.com Thu Dec 12 13:26:22 1996 Path: stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!news.he.net!news.dra.com!feed1.news.erols.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.idt.net!mr.net!news.mid.net!news.cjnetworks.com!usenet From: tdsmith@topeka.cjnetworks.com Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers Subject: Re: Is there such a thing as a printer RAM emulator? Date: 9 Dec 1996 04:31:41 GMT Organization: Capital Journal Networks Lines: 34 Distribution: world Message-ID: <58g4nd$ec8@topeka.cjnetworks.com> References: <7nl95NA4TyqyEwk3@pearl.demon.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: port25.cjnetworks.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Newsreader: In article <7nl95NA4TyqyEwk3@pearl.demon.co.uk>, Adrian Clark writes: >I have a Brother HL4 laser ptr with .5 mb RAM. However, this is useless >for landscape work using tables or graphics. > >Is it really necessary to pay 80 or 90 pounds or so to upgrade the >memory to 2MB, or is there some software which will emulate printer RAM, >thus allowing the printer to have a very large memory indeed? > >Perhaps there is some shareware out there that will do the trick?? > >In eager anticipation of a reply The problem is that laser printers must render a page in its entirety before starting the print sequence, because the print engine cannot be stopped once it starts. Would you want a piece of paper or mylar sitting in the (very hot) fuser assembly for a couple of minutes while the printer waited for more data? I suppose if you had a very fast connection between your computer and your printer and could ensure that the computer wouldn't be distracted by something like a disk write while printing you could pull it off, but the printer manufacturers, since they have little or no control over the operating environment of their products, must plan for every conceivable problem related to data delivery and so must not allow pages to be rendered and stored on the host. Inkjet and dot-matrix printers, having no thermal considerations in normal operation, can be stopped in mid-print, so they have no need for large, expensive data buffers. Those that do have them are much friendlier to the host system, though. So, to answer your first question, yes, you do need to pay the £80-90 for the additional RAM. Sorry that I didn't have better news, Troy Smith