Excellink Introduces Multi-Port Interface Upgrade for the HP LaserJet 4 

JetCard/MIO Series Interface Upgrades Let Up To 10 Users Share an HP
LaserJet 4 or Any Other HP MIO Peripheral

San Jose, California, January 1, 1993 -- Excellink, Inc., a Hewlett-Packard
Independent Hardware Vendor, is now shipping the first two MIO (Modular
I/O) versions of its JetCard series of high-speed printer sharing/
buffering interfaces for Hewlett Packard's LaserJet series of printers.
Designed to maximize the cost effectiveness of expensive printers and
plotters, JetCard/MIO-7 and JetCard/MIO-10 are compatible with any HP MIO
compatible peripheral, including the LaserJet 4, LaserJet IIISi, DesignJet
300/600 plotters, and the HP PaintJet XL300 color printer.

"The HP LaserJet 4's high resolution and speed make it a perfect printer
for shared environments," said Joe Hartzell, director of sales for
Excellink, Inc. "Our JetCard/ MIO series is the most efficient and
cost-effective means of connecting several users to these printers.
Although the JetCard/MIO series are 'plug and play' devices that can be
installed in minutes by novice users, they offer advanced features for
power users such as simultaneous data input at 115 Kbps, LaserJet 4
context language switching support, and the ability to be set-up from the
peripheral's front panel."

JetCard/MIO-7 and JetCard/MIO-10 plug into the Modular I/O (MIO) slot of
any MIO-compatible peripheral, providing high-speed concurrent data
spooling for up to seven or ten users, respectively. Like Excellink's
original JetCard series, the JetCard/MIO series' serial ports support data
transfer up to 115,200 baud, 12 times faster than standard PC serial
ports. All JetCard/MIO products include a DOS/ Windows compatible software
utility that upgrades standard PC serial ports to the higher baud rates.
Both JetCard/MIO cards come standard with 1 MB of buffer which is
user-upgradeable to 4 MB with industry standard ZIP memory modules.

"The high speed serial inputs combined with the dynamically allocated
buffer improves overall throughput, even when multiple users are printing
complex print jobs," commented Hartzell. "The serial ports use inexpensive
RJ-11 telephone-type cables keeping the cost of the solution as low as
possible."

Unlike external standalone "switch boxes", JetCard/MIO completely
integrates with the printer or plotter in which it is installed. Once
installed, each port's settings (e.g. default language, baud rate,
handshaking, etc...) can be independently set-up from the printer's front
panel. The JetCard/MIO series supports automatic PCL/PostScript language
switching on the HP LaserJet 4, LaserJet IIISi, and PaintJet XL300 as well
as HP-GL/2 and RTL language switching on HP DesignJet plotters.
JetCard/MIO's self-test integrates with the self test of the MIO printer
or plotter into which it is installed. Therefore, when the user prints a
self-test for their printer or plotter with a JetCard/MIO installed, the
test report will contain configuration details for all of the JetCard MIO
ports along with the other printer information. Hartzell summarized, "The
JetCard/MIO provides the most cost effective solution for sharing an HP
MIO peripheral. No other product provides this level of integration, with
this many features at a better price. And because of the level of
integration designed into JetCard/MIO, users will experience ease-of-use
and functionality with JetCard/MIO that is impossible to achieve with
regular 'switch box' type products."

In addition to offering non-networked work groups connections to a LaserJet
4, JetCard/MIO's serial and parallel ports can be connected to a LAN
server, enabling networked and non-networked users to share the same HP
MIO peripheral. When used with a LAN, the JetCard/MIO's buffer immediately
spools the server's print jobs along with the standalone users' jobs. This
frees up the network more quickly, and increases the productivity of all
users on the network.

JetCard/MIO is available in two models. JetCard/MIO-7 has six serial inputs
and one parallel input with a 1 MB buffer, and is priced at $595.00.
JetCard/MIO-10 has ten serial inputs with a 1 MB buffer and is priced at
$695.00. Four megabyte versions of these products are priced at $895.00
and $995.00 respectively. JetCard/MIO-7 and JetCard/MIO-10 are available
immediately, along with cables and other accessories. All products are
available directly from Excellink and it's network of authorized dealers.

Excellink, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high performance printer
connectivity products, is located at 1430 Tully Road #415, San Jose CA
95122-3058. Telephone: (408) 295-9000 Fax: (408) 295-9011

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