Request for laser printer informatio

[mather at uicsl.UUCP]

We have purchased a QMS lasergraphix 1200 printer.
We have printed 95,000 pages with it so far.
We have it connected as follows:

	2 Vax 780s and a Masscomp all connected together via Ethernet.
	Each 780 sends over pre-troff source to the MC which ditroffs
	and translates in a 'offline' or 'batch' mode. The Masscomp is
	(for now) dedicated to ditroffing jobs. We can also ether-over
	graphics (4010 binary), 'QUIC code' printer codes, and PIC and
	IDEAL stuff. This has offloaded our VAXs considerably. We are
	still using a serial line between the MC and QMS, but will
	switch to the parallel interface as soon as Masscomp gets off
	their butts and sends us the one we have ordered (N months ago).


Here are my impressions/views/thoughts:

The printing part of the machine is very nice.
It as a tremendous potential. But .....

The fonts need a lot of work. They seem to have a great deal of trouble
	generating correctly positioned fonts with just the right spacings.

Extra fonts (each point size in each typeface is considered a new font)
	cost a fortune and are NOT worth it.

The PROM fonts build into the machine are worthless as far as troff (ditroff)
	is concerned since there is no width tables for these.

If you do accounting (charge per page) you will have a BIG problem as there
	is no way to accurately keep track of the number of pages printed.
	QMS has mentioned having some some of 'read status' facility on the
	printer, but that is just talk as far as I know.

The queue software from Mt Xinu does not use the nice 4.2 lpr spooling
	utilities which is a BIG drag. The old 4.1 'first in is not first
	out' problem exits which makes users irate. The software says that
	the printer prints at a rate such that this is not a problem. Bull.

Every once and a while, the paper jams and gets BURNED in half by the
	heater unit. This is not mentioned anywhere in the documentation
	as a normal thing. I guess it is (after talking to Xerox). The first
	time I saw SMOKE coming out of our printer, I was concerned.

Every now and then the QMS1200 status display shows 'FF' fatal error. Which
	requires powering down and powering up the printer (I am utterly
	amazed that there is NO reset switch to do this - If you turn off the
	printer then turn it back on, it is too stupid to realize that it is
	already warm and goes through the heater/laser warmup cycle. You can
	'warm start' the printer (to avoid this cycle) but, it requires (no
	lie) 3 (three) hands to push all the buttons and switches at the same
	time. I'd like to see what their design engineer looks like.

	When you get this 'FF' error, how do you fix it if something is in
	the middle of printing? Good question. We have to 'ps' and find
	the qpd daemon, kill it and it's forks, then turn off/on the printer,
	reset a 'fonts which are loaded' file, then 'rm a lock file' and
	start up the printer daemon again. ULTRA-headache. If the 4.2
	software was used, this would be a non-problem. We, of course are
	throwing the Mt Xinu software out the window and writing our own.
	If you want something done right .....

The QMS software that maps the troff special characters sequence,  \(12
	type of thing, has errors in it. The \(ib gave us a improper
	superset of (instead of improper subset of).

The operator manual is cryptic. Setting up modes/printer defaults/tests
	on the QMS1200 via the touch panal and 2 digit display is like
	programming in machine language. The status display should be
	better designed.

When the printer is now used for N minutes (30<N<60) the printer powers
	down. EVERY LIGHT goes out. You have to open the machine to see
	if the power switch is on or not. Holy Cow!! I can't believe that
	one! They could at least keep the display lights on with some
	2 character code that lets you know it's powered down state.

	If it powers down while in the online mode and the machine room
	is to be closed (we close it from midnight to 7am), there is no
	way to turn the machine offline without sending it something,
	wait for it to heat up, then turn if offline. (We don't like to
	have the thing printing without an operator on duty, especially
	since it seems to be a fire hazard as well!)

	NONE of the power down/saver mode is described in ANY docs that
	we got.


Like I said, the machine printer engine and graphics facility is great,
but these other things make it a little difficult to work with and when
you are in a community of uses/professors which are intolerant, impatient,
and hostile, it is even more of a pain.

				b.c.mather
				software surgeon
				uiucdcs!uicsl!mather