Apple Personal LaserWriter NTR

Apple Personal LaserWriter NTR
	Personal LaserWriter NTR (photo: Ben Boldt, public domain)
Manufacturer	Apple Computer, Inc.
Type	Laser printer
Release date	March 1992
Discontinued	September 1993
Interface	LocalTalk (RS-422), RS-232 serial, Centronics parallel
Compatible	Macintosh and PC-compatible computers (PostScript and HP LaserJet Plus)
Power	600 W maximum
Resolution	300 dpi

The Apple Personal LaserWriter NTR is a networkable PostScript laser printer that Apple introduced in March 1992 as a faster successor to the Apple Personal LaserWriter NT, and discontinued in September 1993.^[1] Apple's service addendum describes it as printing documents three to five times faster than the NT, with RS-232, RS-422 (LocalTalk) and 36-pin Centronics parallel ports.^[2] The engine is the same 4 page-per-minute Canon engine as the rest of the family, and Apple says that, unless stated otherwise, its NT service information applies to the NTR.^[2]^[3]

Specifications

**Personal LaserWriter NTR I/O board, as given in Apple's 1993 addendum**^[2]
Item	Value
Processor	N/A
ROM	3 MB
RAM	3 MB, expandable to 4 MB
Interfaces	LocalTalk, RS-232, RS-422, Centronics parallel
Printing protocols	PostScript, HP LaserJet Plus, and a subset of Diablo 630
Built-in fonts	Courier, Gothic, Helvetica, Helvetica Narrow, IBM PC Graphics Extended Character Set, ITC Avant Garde, ITC Bookman, ITC Zapf Chancery, ITC Zapf Dingbats, New Century Schoolbook, Palatino, Symbol and Times

Apple's two sources disagree about the board. The addendum lists the processor as "N/A" and the ROM as 3 MB; Apple's specification sheet gives an AMD 29005 at 16 MHz, 2 MB of ROM, PostScript Level 2 and PCL 4+, and one 72-pin SIMM slot for 3 to 4 MB of RAM using 1 MB or 2 MB SIMMs of 80 ns or faster.^[2]^[1] The engine figures (4 pages per minute, 300 dpi, 150,000-page life) are the same as the NT's.^[1]^[3]

Service parts

The NTR I/O board is Apple part 661-0725, and the NTR shares the NT and SC DC controller PCB, 661-0567. Apple also listed a ROM Upgrade Kit, version 4.0, part 076-0685.^[2]

Known fault: half-page printing

An NTR that prints only on the top half of the page and leaves the bottom half blank needs its ROMs upgraded to version 4.0. On an NT, Apple's cure for the same symptom is a new fuser bulb or fuser assembly.^[2]

Maintenance and troubleshooting

The engine, its safety rules, the Cleaning Page and Apple's troubleshooting tables are shared with the NT:

Documentation

Apple Service Guide Laserwriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993, which adds the NTR to Volume I
Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I, whose NT information Apple applies to the NTR

Related pages

Apple Personal LaserWriter NT, Apple Personal LaserWriter SC, Apple Personal LaserWriter LS

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Apple, "Personal LaserWriter NTR: Technical Specifications", Apple Support document 112412 (formerly SP438), retrieved 2026-10-02. Source for: AMD29005 at 16 MHz; PostScript Level 2 and PCL 4+; LocalTalk, RS-232/RS-422 serial and Centronics parallel; 600 W maximum, 5 A, 2052 BTU/hour at 110-115 V, 50-60 Hz; 2 MB ROM; one 72-pin RAM slot, 3 to 4 MB, 80 ns minimum, 1 and 2 MB sizes; 4 pages per minute; 300 dpi; minimum life 150,000 pages; introduced 1 March 1992, discontinued 1 September 1993; 29.5 lb; 8 × 15 × 18.3 in.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 Apple Computer, Inc., LaserWriter Printers Volume I Addendum (Apple Service Guide, September 1993), Personal LaserWriter SC/NT/NTR/LS and LS/L, pp. 15-22 (PDF pp. 18-25), hosted as File:Apple Service Guide LaserWriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993.pdf; described at Apple Service Guide Laserwriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993. Source for: the SC, NT, NTR, LS and LS/L using the same print engine; the LS/L as a cost-reduced LS sold under the LS name, with parts not necessarily interchangeable, power switch on the right rear, solid rear cover and family number M2002, against the LS with its switch on the left rear, an opening for the I/O board bracket and family number M2000; the NTR as a networkable PostScript printer 3 to 5 times faster than the NT, with RS-232, RS-422 (LocalTalk) and Centronics ports; NT information in Volume I applying to the NTR and LS information to the LS/L; the corrected parts list (pp. 15-18); NTR and LS/L I/O board specifications (p. 21); the LS/L test button behind a cover on the rear panel (p. 21); the NT and NTR top-half printing fault (p. 22).
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Apple Computer, Inc., Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I (072-0631-B, January 1992), Personal LaserWriter tab, I/O Board Identification, p. 8, and Specifications, pp. 9-10 (PDF pp. 148-150), hosted as File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf; described at Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I. Source for: the NT, SC and LS I/O boards and their parts; I/O board specifications of the LS, SC and NT (processor, ROM, RAM, interfaces, printing protocols, built-in fonts); the Canon LBP-LX engine, 300 dpi, 4 pages per minute, paper feed, materials, capacities and printable areas; NT and SC 9.8 in (24.8 cm) high, 15 in (38 cm) wide and 32 lb (15 kg); LS 8 in (20.3 cm) high, 15 in wide and 31 lb (14.5 kg); 10-32.5 °C, 20-80% humidity; 100-115 V AC 50-60 Hz or 220-240 V AC 50 Hz.

[sp438-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Apple, "Personal LaserWriter NTR: Technical Specifications", Apple Support document 112412 (formerly SP438), retrieved 2026-10-02. Source for: AMD29005 at 16 MHz; PostScript Level 2 and PCL 4+; LocalTalk, RS-232/RS-422 serial and Centronics parallel; 600 W maximum, 5 A, 2052 BTU/hour at 110-115 V, 50-60 Hz; 2 MB ROM; one 72-pin RAM slot, 3 to 4 MB, 80 ns minimum, 1 and 2 MB sizes; 4 pages per minute; 300 dpi; minimum life 150,000 pages; introduced 1 March 1992, discontinued 1 September 1993; 29.5 lb; 8 × 15 × 18.3 in.

[add-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 Apple Computer, Inc., LaserWriter Printers Volume I Addendum (Apple Service Guide, September 1993), Personal LaserWriter SC/NT/NTR/LS and LS/L, pp. 15-22 (PDF pp. 18-25), hosted as File:Apple Service Guide LaserWriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993.pdf; described at Apple Service Guide Laserwriter Printers Volume I Addendum Sept 1993. Source for: the SC, NT, NTR, LS and LS/L using the same print engine; the LS/L as a cost-reduced LS sold under the LS name, with parts not necessarily interchangeable, power switch on the right rear, solid rear cover and family number M2002, against the LS with its switch on the left rear, an opening for the I/O board bracket and family number M2000; the NTR as a networkable PostScript printer 3 to 5 times faster than the NT, with RS-232, RS-422 (LocalTalk) and Centronics ports; NT information in Volume I applying to the NTR and LS information to the LS/L; the corrected parts list (pp. 15-18); NTR and LS/L I/O board specifications (p. 21); the LS/L test button behind a cover on the rear panel (p. 21); the NT and NTR top-half printing fault (p. 22).

[v1-spec-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Apple Computer, Inc., Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I (072-0631-B, January 1992), Personal LaserWriter tab, I/O Board Identification, p. 8, and Specifications, pp. 9-10 (PDF pp. 148-150), hosted as File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf; described at Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I. Source for: the NT, SC and LS I/O boards and their parts; I/O board specifications of the LS, SC and NT (processor, ROM, RAM, interfaces, printing protocols, built-in fonts); the Canon LBP-LX engine, 300 dpi, 4 pages per minute, paper feed, materials, capacities and printable areas; NT and SC 9.8 in (24.8 cm) high, 15 in (38 cm) wide and 32 lb (15 kg); LS 8 in (20.3 cm) high, 15 in wide and 31 lb (14.5 kg); 10-32.5 °C, 20-80% humidity; 100-115 V AC 50-60 Hz or 220-240 V AC 50 Hz.

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