On 2004.9.29, at 07:15 AM, Yau-Gene Chan wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> Hope this is the right place to ask questions...

Try the following place, instead:

     http://discussions.info.apple.com/

You should be able to find a forum to ask here. You'll have to sign up, 
but it's free.

> I have a Mac running OS 10.3.  I have been told this OS is built off 
> FreeBSD 4.7.

As has been pointed out, that's not correct. Lot's of pieces of BSD, 
the kernel is Mach. Put it all together and it spells "Darwin":

     http://developer.apple.com/darwin/
     http://www.opendarwin.org/

>  I have a Sharp (AR-M550OU) copier/printer at work, but the dealer is 
> telling me I must pay for Postscript to be put on the machine in order 
> to have my Mac run the copier/printer.

Google is a fine search engine:

     http://www.google.com/search?q=Sharp+AR-M550

> Is this true?

Well the blurb I found through searching Google says it prints PDF 
directly, but then I read a little further, and it says "Postscript 3 
expansion kit required" or some such. Sounds like what he's saying is 
true.

However, you might find someone that has built a CUPS driver for it.

>  And if OS 10.3 is actually FreeBSD 4.7 anyway, is there a direct way 
> for FreeBSD to run the printer?

I forget what the CUPS web site's URL is, but you mind hunt that up and 
see if the CUPS project has something you can install on the Mac for 
free, instead. Might not be quite as pretty, but it might do the job, 
if it's there.

> Yau
>