[10800] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Coin-Operated Printers
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Christopher Stewart)
Fri Nov 8 21:02:41 1996
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 1996 19:30:09 -0600 (CST)
From: Christopher Stewart <stewart@charlie.cns.iit.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: stewart@charlie.cns.iit.edu
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Linda Fortney wrote:
>
> Please respond directly to author, not PACS-L. Thanks, Gretchen
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Alas, even a search of the Pacs-L archive didn't tell me what I needed to
> know about networked coin operated laser printers.
>
> Could some kind soul please tell me
> 1. Names of manufacturers who sell the coin op devices.
>
> 2. Pitfalls of networking 2 or 3 computers to one printer.
>
> 3. These printers will be connected to computers used for WWW access,
> and although our chief objective is cost recovery, we want to create
> enough of a cost barrier so our students will THINK before they print. Is
> $.05/page enough for cost recovery or is $.10 more realistic.
>
> 4. My institution does not yet have a Venda Card system. Is Venda card
> less hassle than coins, to an extent that we in the libraries should
> pioneer the use of Venda Cards?
>
> Thanks for any and all suggestions. I will summarize for the list.
>
> Linda Fortney
> Montgomery College Library
We are impelmenting a card reader charge back system for all of our
public area networked computers. We use a common Web interface that
links to all of our resources, both internal and on the Internet. There
is a tremendous amount of Windows application printing going on,
especially of electronic reserves, which students used to have to Xerox
when these documents were in paper form. Obviously, cost recovery is
crucial.
Some things to keep in mind:
1. Networking printers. Make sure your printers have a healthy amount
of on-board RAM. Generally, in a networked environment, print jobs are
sent to a spoller on the file server, then downloaded to the printer
from a logical or physical print server. With Windows printing,
especially image based files, the jobs can be rather large. A typical
e-reserve document here, for example, is 1 to 2M. Printer memory, as
well as a network operating system that is up to the job, are very
important.
2. Make your laser printers the default printers for Windows, but
provide a dot matrix printer for any DOS applications you may still use.
It is not fair to charge patrons for dot matrix printing.
3. The charging system we will be using is costly, but cost recovery
withing a year is expected. Card reading and coin operting systems for
NETWORKED printing is still in it's primtive development phase, and only
a few companies have rolled out products. We are using the Lynx-500
system, which has been impemnebted at Wright State and CCNY, among
others. This system uses touch screen technology: users approach a
common workstation where they see their jobs listed as icons on a touch
screen monitor. Job details listed for them include number of pages and
price (ten cents a page). The user then selects his or her job and is
prompted to enter their venda card. Once this is done, the job will
print at one of three designated networked laser printers.
4. From a public service stand point, I recommend a venda card solution.
Hope this helps.
********************************
Christopher Stewart
Assistant Director for Network Services
Paul V. Galvin Library
Illinois Institute of Technology
312.567.3293
stewart@charlie.cns.iit.edu
