Date: Wed, Mar 10, 1993 6:11:21 AM Subject: Calling JetScript owners From: Bob Gilchrist 100031,3050 I am posting this message _in case_ it is of any use to a JS (JetScript) owner. I bought a JS from HP, 5 years ago. A great product, but the '286 in which it was installed was retired some time ago. We now use a '486 with Win 3.1 (in enhanced mode, of course) and naturally, the JS product would not function in that - or would it? I asked this of QMS and HP and was advised that the JS would not function in a '486. Now I DON'T blame them for saying this. I certainly don't expect a product to work on a computer whose hardware and operating system did not exist when it was designed. However, a CIS user gave me the confidence to try it, and I wish to report that, after extensive tests, it performs FABULOUSLY. It may not work for you of course, but here is my setup: 486/33 (AMI BIOS) with IO bus running at 11MHz. Board installed with IRQ 5 as LPT2. Windows driver set for Direct to port, and using Print Manager JetStart run from a PIF file which also downloads the Windows PS header. This setup prints about 7-9 times faster than my HPLJII using a TurboScript cartridge. I am extremely happy with it, and use it a lot. Please note that use of the recommended EPT handler causes port contention in Windows and can hang the system for several seconds. I get no such problem with the LPT2 driver. The only other point that I've noted is that the Printer _must_ be switched on before JetStart is run - otherwise the combination gets into an unrecoverable state, requiring power cycling of both printer and computer to recover. This does not hang the computer though, so it's not fatal. I don't find it difficult to remember to turn the printer on first now. I do not expect QMS or HP to endorse this, that wouldn't be fair. But for me at least, this great product continues to give me good service, and it may do so for you. Thanks QMS! Bob --------------- Date: Fri, Mar 12, 1993 6:03:29 AM Dear John Ref: JetScript Would you add the following to my previous message about Jetscript under Windows 3.1 Note that I have simplified the process so that a PIF is no longer required... For Printer driver, I used "QMS-PS 800." I increased the retry counts to 600 & 900, but this may not be necessary. It's just something that I always do with PS printers, just in case, since PS is inherently slow. The setup is so efficient that I have been able to set the Print Manager priority to High, without any noticeable degradation in foreground processsing. To initialize JS from Windows, create a small batch file in the JetScript directory (say c:\QMSJS) called, say, JET.BAT. This need only contain two lines as follows: C:\QMSJS\JETSTART COPY/B C:\WINDOWS\PSHEADER.PRN LPT2: -and the second line is only required if you want to download the Windows PS header immediately after initializing the JS. In case you don't know what the Windows PS header is, it's a collection of PS subroutines that is sent to a PS printer each time a print job is started. You can save time on repetitive print jobs, by only downloading this header once, whereupon it will stay in the printer until it is turned off. You must obviously first uncheck the printer setup option which sends the header with each job. In the Printer Setup Options dialogs you will find a button to send the header. You can either send it from this dialog or (if you are forgetful, like me) you can specify a print file for it and have it automatically downloaded by the above batch file. Now create (ADD) a new program item to your favorite Group. Give it a meaningful description, such as: "JetScript load". For Command, enter: C:\QMSJS\JET.BAT and for Working Directory: c:\QMSJS (or whatever yours is called). You should be able to find a reasonable icon within the Program Manager - I chose one with two overlapping pages of text. Now (after turning on the printer!) just double-click the icon to initialize JetScript. Bob Gilchrist 100031,3050