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Early LaserWriter ROM dumps

chi100

Member
I recently added support for running these LaserWriter ROM dumps to MAME. The ROM dumps on that page are a revision with PostScript Version 47.0 from 1986-1987. I'm interested in getting the earlier versions working in MAME as well. Does anyone have any of the original ROMs (PostScript Version 23.0) or Rev 2 (PostScript Version 38.0) (342-0081-A - 342-0104-A) that they'd be willing to dump and share? Alternatively, I'd be willing to buy the physical ROMs and dump them myself.

I'm also interested in ROM dumps from the II NTX, IIf or IIg.
 

NJRoadfan

Well-known member
Its going to be tough to find. Many folks upgraded their ROMs with the LaserWriter Plus font set. On top of that, most of these printers have long since been tossed. Heck, I can't even find a disk image of the original LaserWriter 1.0 driver (called "LaserWriter Installation Disk"). It doesn't help that Apple's directions state to discard the earlier software.
 

chi100

Member
I believe the LaserWriter Plus ROM set was (342-0089-A - 342-0104-A). I'm definitely interested in dumps of those if anyone still has them.
 

ArtiomWin

Member
I would like to have more ROMs for Apple printers too (and other manufacturers), but here's ROMs for LaserWriter IIg (downloaded from Bitsavers.org, where they were available for couple days only).
 

Attachments

  • Apple LaserWriter IIg.zip
    1.3 MB · Views: 11

trag

Well-known member
Clueless here. What do you use Laserwriter ROM dumps for in MAME? Is it just to see the different test pages?
 

chi100

Member
I would like to have more ROMs for Apple printers too (and other manufacturers), but here's ROMs for LaserWriter IIg (downloaded from Bitsavers.org, where they were available for couple days only).
Thanks for that ROM. It looks like the IIg software is a lot different from the II NT software so it won't be easy to get running in MAME.

Clueless here. What do you use Laserwriter ROM dumps for in MAME? Is it just to see the different test pages?

I haven't hooked up video yet, so you can't see the output from the printer. However, there's an interactive PostScript shell that you can run PostScript programs in.
 

ArtiomWin

Member
Thanks for that ROM. It looks like the IIg software is a lot different from the II NT software so it won't be easy to get running in MAME.
Yep, that's newer generation, and this model was flagship one. As for implementing support in MAME, at least there are photo of boards on BitSavers.
P.S. How can I see test page? I've failed to use instruction on BeefChicken since I'm using Windows. And do you need ROM for StyleWriter II?
 

chi100

Member
I've attached what I'm pretty sure is the IIg test page. It will need some manual modification to get it to render in standard postscript renderers because it use some device specific stuff.
 

Attachments

  • IIg-test-page.zip
    6.2 KB · Views: 10

chi100

Member
How can I make them? I've failed to open in Ghostscript.
You'd need to read the PostScript to figure out what it's trying to do.

By the way, StyleWriter II (found somethere on GitHub):
It looks like the StyleWriter II doesn't support PostScript so it's less interesting to me.

So they get MAME running on the controller board for another printer and emulate it? Still kind of clueless. I guess I should have been paying more attention to MAME.
No, MAME is running on a regular computer. Currently the LaserWriter emulation lets you connect to the virtual serial port of the emulator and run batch or interactive PostScript jobs (with no output)

I got copy of a LaserWriter Plus ROM and now MAME has support for running it too:

So now the challenge is finding an original LaserWriter that hasn't been updated to LaserWriter Plus or someone that still has the original ROMs around.
 

trag

Well-known member
No, MAME is running on a regular computer. Currently the LaserWriter emulation lets you connect to the virtual serial port of the emulator and run batch or interactive PostScript jobs (with no output)
Thank you for the explanation. I appreciate it.
 

ArtiomWin

Member
You'd need to read the PostScript to figure out what it's trying to do.
Sorry, I'm profane in such things.
It looks like the StyleWriter II doesn't support PostScript so it's less I got copy of a LaserWriter Plus ROM and now MAME has support for running it too:
Where did you get this one?
 

oldappleguy

Well-known member
Can anyone tell me which LaserWriter rom these are
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0053.jpeg
    IMG_0053.jpeg
    1.3 MB · Views: 12
  • IMG_0054.jpeg
    IMG_0054.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 12
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