sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sunflash@suntri sunflash-Send requests and problem reports to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SunPics Launches NeWSprinter CL+ SunFLASH Vol 53 #8 May 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: Doug Howatt SunPics Phone: +1 (415) 336-4355 Contact: Alan Kelly Applied Communications Corp. Phone: +1 (415) 375-8881 SUNPICS LAUNCHES NEWSPRINTER CL+, FIRST COLOR PRINTER FROM SUN FOR CLIENT-SERVER WORK GROUPS SunReady(TM) Printer with New Software Tools Delivers Pixels-to-Paper Color MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 10, 1993--SunPics, the printing and imaging business of Sun Microsystems, Inc., today introduced NeWSprinter CL+(TM), the first color printer from Sun Microsystems. It is a PostScript(R) language-compatible color printer that comes SunReady(TM) for easy installation and use on Sun(TM) systems. It also features two new software technologies that enhance color images and improve printing performance: BalanceTool(TM) enables users to control and manage color images on-screen, and FastRaster(TM) speeds printing of bit-mapped images. NeWSprinter CL+ is targeted at work groups in networked and client-server environments. In any computing environment that includes systems compatible with the Solaris(R) operating environment, NeWSprinter CL+, like all SunPics printers, is accessible through third-party products to most popular computers on a network--including Macintosh(R), Microsoft(R) Windows and DOS-compatible PCs, as well as Sun and other UNIX(r) system workstations. Powered by NeWSprint(TM), the leading Solaris network printing software, NeWSprinter CL+ complements SunPics' existing family of NeWSprint products, the SPARCprinter(TM) and NeWSprinter(TM) 20 workgroup laser printers. "We've got color from pixels to paper. From the SPARCstation(TM) to Solaris to NeWSprinter CL+, Sun now offers the best color solution in client-server computing" said Lalita Tademy, vice president and general manager of SunPics. "NeWSprinter CL+ uses the power of the network and SunPics' strength in software to give users a color capability that is easy, powerful and fast." "NeWSprinter CL+ completes the color workplace from Sun Microsystems," said Larry Hambly, vice president of marketing for Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, which will resell NeWSprinter CL+. "Every one of our markets can benefit from this new product. With our entry-level color desktop systems, NeWSprinter CL+ makes for an unbeatable combination. It's the right product at the right time." NEW BALANCETOOL AND FASTRASTER SOFTWARE In addition to color PostScript output, NeWSprinter CL+ has unique capabilities for 8- and 24-bit color images in the TIFF and Sun raster formats. BalanceTool, a new desktop application developed by SunPics and offered exclusively with all NeWSprinter CL+ printers, lets the user preview color images on-screen and adjust the tone, contrast and balance of NeWSprinter CL+ color output. BalanceTool will complement the ColorSense(TM) color management system from Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., which will be integrated into future versions of the Solaris operating environment and printers and monitors from SunPics and Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (request Kodak/Sun ColorSense agreement, March 29, 1993). While ColorSense will give users automatic color consistency, from input to output, BalanceTool lets users manually control color output to suit different needs and preferences. Another significant feature of NeWSprinter CL+ is FastRaster(TM), a bypass mode for color bit-map printing that processes high quality color raster images four to five times faster than PostScript images. When NeWSprinter CL+ user prints a bit-map image, FastRaster intelligently bypasses the PostScript language compatible raster image processor in NeWSprint. FastRaster, coupled with the high-speed parallel interface, enables NeWSprinter CL+ to print bit-mapped images significantly faster than any other printer in its class. NEWSPRINTER CL+ IS SUNREADY NeWSprinter CL+ is shipped SunReady, with everything needed for quick and easy network installation on Sun systems. NeWSprint software, documentation, parallel cables, media and supplies, and graphical installation from CD-ROM give users complete, quick and easy access of NeWSprinter CL+ on the network. The product is supported worldwide by Sun's customer service organization. Through the graphical user interface of NeWSprint, users can install NeWSprinter CL+ by answering a few simple menu-driven questions. Once installed, users manage from their workstation all printing functions, including color balancing, font handling, device and resolution selection, paper handling, toner status and "n-up" printing. On-line help and documentation is included with Sun's AnswerBook(R) software. Beyond the Sun platform, NeWSprinter CL+ is also one of the most accessible color printers on the market. TCP/IP Ethernet is standard through the host workstation and products, such as SunLink(R) NetWare(R), PC-NFS(R) and AppleTalk(TM), provide connections to other popular network protocols. Users of the major computing platforms, including Macintosh, IBM PC compatibles, Microsoft Windows and other workstations, can connect to workstations utilizing the Solaris operating environment and print PostScript-compatible documents on NeWSprinter CL+. MARKETS FOR NEWSPRINTER CL+ NeWSprinter CL+ is targeted at those commercial and technical market segments at which systems running the Solaris operating environment excel. Users in markets such as electronic design automation (EDA), geographic information systems (GIS), electronic publishing (EPUBS) and presentation graphics are expected to benefit from the new printer. "I found NeWSprinter CL+ printer to be very easy to set up and use with my SPARCstation running Solaris 2.1," said Nathan Bender, senior software engineer at Autodesk, Inc. "Once installed, I never gave another thought to the NeWSprint software. The special software tools for the printer, such as BalanceTool, made it easy to get high-quality color images printed right the first time. Printing color PostScript directly from AutoCAD(TM) worked and looked great." "The NeWSprinter CL+ creates quick and inexpensive full-color presentations from IslandPresents(TM)," said Paul Remer, executive vice president of Island Graphics Corporation. "BalanceTool is especially useful in correcting scanned images before printing them to overhead transparencies. It's the ideal printer for creating presentations." SPECIFICATIONS AND AVAILABILITY NeWSprinter CL+ is a 360-dpi four-color ink jet that prints on plain or coated paper and transparencies. It supports the following paper formats: U.S.letter, legal and tabloid and international A4 and A3. Because printing jobs are processed by NeWSprint at the host workstation, NeWSprinter CL+ operates at full rated speed, printing at 0.7 ppm for A-size pages and 0.3 ppm for B-size pages. NeWSprinter CL+ avoids I/O bottlenecks by utilizing a two megabyte per second parallel interface. The NeWSprinter CL+ comes complete with NeWSprint 2.5 printing software, 5-meter parallel cable (two types), and a starter kit consisting of four ink cartridges, coated paper and overhead transparencies. NeWSprinter CL+ supports all Type 1 fonts and ships with 57 PostScript language-compatible F3(TM) fonts. NeWSprinter CL+ ships with NeWSprint 2.5, and is compatible with Solaris 2. For those environments running Solaris 1 or the SunOS(TM) operating system 4.1.x, a Solaris 1 users kit is available as a no-charge option. For users of early Sun systems who may require a high-speed parallel port, an SBus Printer Card can be ordered through SunExpress. List priced at $3,995, NeWSprinter CL+ is scheduled to ship June 7, 1993. It will be available through Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, SunExpress and authorized SunPics resellers, including Access Graphics, Intelligent Electronics and Arrow Electronics. SUNPICS PRINTING OVERVIEW SunPics has extended network printing beyond the so-called "intelligent" printing model of the 1980s. It moves printer processing to a workstation that is compatible with the Solaris operating environment to avoid duplicating a central processing unit (CPU), memory, LAN connections, and fonts in a network printer. This approach takes advantage of the powerful SPARC(R) CPU and networking technology of a workstation or server running Solaris, and it enables a SunPics printer to be automatically upgraded every time new software is installed onto the host workstation. Through this method, printing resources, such as fonts and forms, can be distributed throughout the network, providing consistency, flexibility and security. This is an optimal way to harness a network's printing power and maximize a company's computing budget. Central to SunPics' approach is NeWSprint, a modular printing software solution, which provides a single architecture across the spectrum from personal printers to data center printing. NeWSprint is supported by more than 100 printer models, and SunPics itself now offers three printers based on NeWSprint that are SunReady and that connect through Solaris to any computing group. In addition to NeWSprinter CL+, there are two SunPics monochrome laser printers. For work group printing, there is SPARCprinter, a 12 ppm desktop laser printer that offers high value and price performance. For demanding work group printing there is NeWSprinter 20, a 20 ppm laser printer that delivers high speed, high volume and multiple format printing. ABOUT SUNPICS SunPics is a business of Sun Microsystems, Inc. that designs and markets a family of printing and imaging products for the family of Sun Microsystems distributed computing products. Its hardware and software products include NeWSprint, an advanced printing software solution, a family of high-speed laser printers for work groups and office networks, and the F3 fonts and font-making tools. SunPics is a pioneer of Open Network Printing, which allows users on heterogeneous networks to print PostScript quality documents from any computer to any printer. (c)1993 Sun Microsystems, Inc., Sun, the Sun logo, SunPics, the SunPics logo, Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, the Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation logo, SunExpress, the SunExpress logo, SunLink, PC-NFS, SunOS, Solaris, AnswerBook, SunReady, NeWSprint, NeWSprinter, NeWSprinter CL+, BalanceTool, FastRaster and F3 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant Logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. SPARCprinter and SPARCstation are licensed exclusively to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based upon an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. Kodak and ColorSense are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company. AutoCAD is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc. IslandPresents is a trademark of Island Graphics Corporation. NetWare is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. All other products or services mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. Send brief articles (e.g. third party announcements) and include contact information (non-800#, fax #, email, etc) to: John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@Sun.COM. +1 305 351 4909