Re: Re: PCL or PostScript

Don Ferguson schreef:
> Greetings  "Theo Zweers" <tjzwrsxs4all.nl>
> On 10/02/2007 at 16:55 you wrote concerning
> Re: [PageStreamSupport] PCL or PostScript
>
>
> HI Theo,
>
> <<snip>>
> TZ>> I'm not really up on the topic, but if
Wikipedia is describing PCL as a 
> TZ>> "rival" of PostScript, they should
choose a better word or clarify 
> TZ>> themselves.
>
> TZ> Rival is my word. Wikipedia in Dutch talks about
(translated): 'The 
> TZ> largest counterpart of PCL is PostScript ' (I
just looked it up  ).
> TZ> Is this a better translation?
>
> It may be a better translation, but the resulting
statement is equally ignorant
> and misleading.
>   

Why, Don (and Henry)?
Take HD-DVD and Blu-ray, or older: VHS and Betamax from Sony
(or even 
C2000 from Philips).
They are rivals to take the market for them self. They all
give us the 
same (looks like it: video), but you can't put a tape from
Betamax in a 
VHS-machine. But both give a video image on your TV if you
have the 
right equipment.

Why is that view, from the point of Wikipedia, ignorant or
misleading.
They don't tell you what is best, or what you should buy.
They only tell that they both do in printing, and that they
can't be 
used at the same time with the same computer (and printer).
I see no harm in those words: rival, counterpart.

(I didn't elaborate on HD-DVD and Blu-ray, because there are
drives who 
can play them both, or at least: should)

This is the offending line in Wikipedia: De grootste
tegenhanger van PCL 
is PostScript...
If you are going to http://b
abelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn then 
you can translate it from Nederlands (Dutch) to English!
Now it is not always (most of the time) correct, but in this
case I see 
no problem in the translation.
So it becomes all about what Wikipedia says in Dutch.

> <<snip>>
> TZ> OK, that is the problem. I think in Dutch, and
try to write in English.
>
> To anyone who native tongue is Dutch and writes as well
as you do in English, I
> salute. On my last visit to Amsterdam, I was astonished
as to how many people
> understood me in English. When English failed, I tried
German. On exactly ONE
> occassion, the recipient of my entreaty walked away.
The Dutch are incredible
> when it comes to language. Salud!
>   

Blush, and thanks from all the Dutch (except one!).
And you, a Canadian (I think), speaks also German, well
that's great!

...snip...
> Cheers  Don (Green Dragon)
>   

Also cheers to you,

Theo


 
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Theo:

>> TZ> Rival is my word. Wikipedia in Dutch talks
about (translated): 'The 
>> TZ> largest counterpart of PCL is PostScript '
(I just looked it up  ).
>> TZ> Is this a better translation?
>>
>> It may be a better translation, but the resulting
statement is equally ignorant
>> and misleading
>>   
>>     
>
> Why, Don (and Henry)?...
>   

I've done a little thinking about that in the light of all
the ensuing 
discussion.

> Take HD-DVD and Blu-ray, or older: VHS and Betamax from
Sony (or even 
> C2000 from Philips).
>   

Technologically, PCL and PostScript could be thought of as
rivals, but 
only as technology. From a "marketing" perspective
(for lack of a better 
word), the comparison would be more like VHS and Betamax
compared to 
Betacam or U-Matic, Sony's dominating professional video
cassette 
formats. In other words, the marketing niches seem to be
carved out a 
little differently. (The comparison breaks down if you
consider the 
underlying technologies. Betacam is vastly superior to
either of the 
consumer formats.)

 From the outset PostScript had a very public persona and
was pushed 
firmly into professional publishing circles. PCL hasn't
stepped forward 
in the same way. No print house is going to say to you,
"We need your 
document in a PCL format," but they may want it in a
PostScript format. 
I don't think the two languages have ever attempted to go
head to head 
the way the video formats have. Coexistence, not rivalry,
was always 
part of the ground rules. At least that's what it looks like
to me at 
this remove.

HB


 
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