Re: InfoPrint IPDS Alternatives

[Charles Wilt <charles.wilt@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm very surprised to find out Ricoh seems to have stopped making
workgroup IPDS printers...

Ok it seems that Ricoh has simply discontinued the Infoprint brand of
workgroup printers...Ricoh still has workgroup printers with the Ricoh
and Aficio brands.  Additionally, they've moved to software based
IPDS, instead of ROMs.  Their software IPDS is compatible with a
number of their printers.
http://www.ricoh-usa.com/services_and_solutions/services_solutions_details.aspx?cid=76&scid=74&sid=744&ptm=compatible#pdtfeatures

You can find IPDS kits for other printers, HP in particular:
http://www.hp.com/sbso/product/printing/laserjetfonts/emulation.html

IPDS printing is the "best" option for printing from the IBM i...and
AFAIK is still recommend by IBM for mission critical printing over
TCP/IP.  IPDS is bi-directional and for example each page printed is
acknowledged by the printer.  So for example if you have a jam, the
host can restart exactly where it needs to.  Aside from twinax
attached SCS, the other protocols will simply send the entire spool
file to the printer buffer and printer will tell the host it's
complete, thus the host deletes the spool file, way before the
printing is actually done.

If you don't do much printing, you might be able to get away with
downgrading to non-IPDS printers...

But you may not be happy with the results if you are used to IPDS.

The IBM Printing redbooks provide some more details about the
advantages of IPDS.

HTH,
Charles



On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 9:17 PM, Sam_L <lennon_s_j@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> We have a lot of InfoPrint IPDS laser printers of various models, large
> and small. We have smaller models in the warehouse and in the
> manufacturing building.  We have some bigger ones as departmental
> printer, shared with Windows printing.  All are TCP/IP attached; no twinax.
>
> They have been very reliable workhorses but some are now over 10 years
> old and we are thinking about replacements.
>
> Hardware is not my expertise and I have inherited the responsibility, so
> I could use a little help...
>
>   - Are there any IPDS printers that are replacements for InfoPrints
> [IBM/Lexmark doesn’t seem to make them any more as far as I can tell
> from Google.]
>
>   - Why do I need IPDS and what does it buy me?
> [We print a few overlay forms (e.g., Invoices, though most are EDI these
> days) and we print some barcodes on internal picking documents.  Most of
> our barcoded labels are done on Zebras driven by TL Ashford software
> thru remote OUTQs.]
>
> Any input appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sam
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