shawn@pnet51.cts.com (Shawn Stanley) (03/28/89)
dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) writes: >Don't get one of those Grappler Mac/GS/C thingies...emulation of the >Imagewriter isn't perfect in my experience and it requires you to constantly >set dip switches if you change between printing graphics and text. It also >requires an external power supply (supplied) and you can't leave it plugged >in. It is also very very *SLOW*. I've used that interface, and frankly, I like it a lot. It allows me to use my Epson printer via a built-in serial port, which is nice. In text mode, it doesn't seem slow at all. In graphics mode, it is quite slow, but then outputting graphics on an Epson isn't fast to begin with, and that's most of the problem. (By the way, I use it with my Epson RX-80.) I don't understand your comment about not being able to leave the external power supply plugged in. As long as there's an outlet... UUCP: {uunet!rosevax, amdahl!bungia, chinet, killer}!orbit!pnet51!shawn INET: shawn@pnet51.cts.com
dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) (03/28/89)
In article <835@orbit.UUCP> shawn@pnet51.cts.com (Shawn Stanley) writes: >dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) writes: >>Don't get one of those Grappler Mac/GS/C thingies...emulation of the >[Stuff deleted] >I've used that interface, and frankly, I like it a lot. It allows me to use >my Epson printer via a built-in serial port, which is nice. In text mode, >it doesn't seem slow at all. In graphics mode, it is quite slow, but then >outputting graphics on an Epson isn't fast to begin with, and that's most of >the problem. (By the way, I use it with my Epson RX-80.) > >I don't understand your comment about not being able to leave the external >power supply plugged in. As long as there's an outlet... The manual that came with my used Grappler Mac thing promised dire consequences of leaving the AC-DC adapter plugged in all the time. I ended up sticking it in my powerstrip, so that problem pretty much went away. Text printing does work fast, but the adapter requires you to flip dip switches if you want to print graphics. Since I print graphics or use a GS printer driver based program fairly often, as well as print straight text, this becomes a hassle. The design of the adapter bothers me too. The Grappler C/Mac/GS is essentially a cable with the conversion logic at one end in a box. The box plugs right into the back of the printer, where it sticks out. The power cable plugs into the side. I kept worrying that one day, I would stretch and break the thing off by accident (I have a strange setup on my desk). | <<<<<(((((( DAVE SEAH ))))))>>>>> | Internet: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Bitnet: dseah@wpi.bitnet | Computer Engineering Class of '90 | ALink PE: Omnitreant
max@jma.UUCP (Max Heffler @ Landmark Graphics) (03/29/89)
In article <835@orbit.UUCP>, shawn@pnet51.cts.com (Shawn Stanley) writes: > dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) writes: > >Don't get one of those Grappler Mac/GS/C thingies...emulation of the > > I've used that interface, and frankly, I like it a lot. It allows me to use > My wife swears by our Grappler C/Mac/GS. It allows her to use GS programs with our slow... Epson MX-100. It seems to work better with the updated prom for AppleWorks GS... We leave ours plugged into the surge surpresser/ noise filter that drives the GS and all of its peripherals. -- Max Heffler uucp: ..!uunet!jma!max Landmark Graphics Corp. phone: (713) 579-4751 333 Cypress Run, Suite 100 Houston, Texas 77094
David_Kopper@dgc.mceo.dg.COM (04/06/89)
CEO file contents:
Hi! Its me again (this network stuff is kinda fun!)
David Seah said that he was having problems with his Grappler C/Mac/GS.
(IE: He has to flip the dip switches on his Grappler C/Mac/GS to be able to
print text.) I don't believe that this is a problem with the Grappler
C/Mac/GS - but it seems to be a configuration issue for the printing software
that he is using. I thought more people might be interested in this
explaination, so here goes...
Let me try to explain this problem with an example. Lets start with
a table of what a couple of escape sequences do on the involved printers.
Result | generic printer | Imagewriter printer
-----------------+-------------------+-----------------------
Bold text | <ESC>A | <ESC>B
Graphics mode | <ESC>C | <ESC>A
Note: Those sequences are imaginary - I made them up. I don't have the
Imagewriter manual in front of me (and the generic printer is entirely
fictional - but lets imagine that its a printer supported by the Grappler
C/Mac/GS).
The Grappler C/Mac/GS is setup for Imagewriter emulation for the
generic printer. You run one of your programs that prints text. It sends
an '<ESC>A' - to set the printer up to print bold text. The Grappler C/Mac/GS
gets this '<ESC>A' and since its emulating a imagewriter, it must translate
it into the escape sequence for the generic printer that will do the same
thing (IE: '<ESC>C'). The generic printer gets '<ESC>C' and sets itself
up to print in graphics mode. You get all kinds of trash printed.
If the Grappler C/Mac/GS was setup for either 7-bit or 8-bit parallel
interface - then the '<ESC>A' would not have been translated by the Grappler.
And your text would have come out just fine.
The manual for the Grappler C/Mac/GS doesn't explain this 'functional
problem' in much detail - so its easy to see how it could get confusing.
This could happen to any number of escape sequences - that is why the manual
says to catagize your software as to what printers the software supports.
The manual tells you how to set the switches, according to what your software
requires - not implying that you'd be changing the dip switches with each
program. I agree that the manual is pretty poor in this area - hopefully
they will fix it in the future.
I called their tech. support number and asked about them adding a
section that describes how their interface works in the manual (instead
of setup stuff then a large discussion on the software shipped with it and
then a small section on troubleshooting and a little fiew diagrams). The
engineer that I talked to said that he would pass my comments on to the
right person. They seem to have reasonable people on the Tech. Support
phone lines!
>The design of the adapter bothers me too.
(wow - I even got a > in there and everything...)
I agree - the adapter bothers me too.
Disclaimer: I don't work for Orange Micro - but I'm still a VERY happy
customer of theirs!
>| <<<<<(((((( DAVE SEAH ))))))>>>>> | Internet: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu
>| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Bitnet: dseah@wpi.bitnet
>| Computer Engineering Class of '90 | ALink PE: Omnitreant
Internet: Dave@wally.ceo.dg.com
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