binder@fizbin.DEC.COM (NOW willya gimme some fightin' room?) (12/09/86)
> I was wondering if anyone out there could offer me some advice > as to what type of hardware I should add too my present system. > I have a basic system: monochrome monitor, two disk drives and an > unenhanced Apple ][e. I was figuring on buying a printer of some sort, > possibly a super serial card, and a 1200 baud modem. Don't buy a color monitor unless you plan to take real advantage of it - a TV works fine for games. Apple's position is that you shouldn't "enhance" your //e unless you need a feature you'd gain, such as the improved screen handling or the Mousetext characters. Wait until you get some software that needs the enhancement. Unless you need letter-quality printing, buy a good dot-matrix printer with a parallel interface. They're faster and less expensive, and most of them have enhanced printing modes to produce excellent correspondence-quality output. Parallel cards are also less expensive than serial cards, and they don't require any protocol hassles with whatever software you use. If you do need letter quality, you can still buy a parallel printer - there are several available now. For serial communications, you probably don't need both a serial card and a modem - there are several good modems that plug right into the Apple. With a plug-in modem, you pay less than for a two-part system, and you don't have to deal with protocol between the two components. I don't have a modem, so I can't recommend any over another. (MODEM USERS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.) > Should I buy only Apple made products or will a mere compatible product work > as well? It depends on whether you want the convenience of a one-vendor system, and whether you use software that will support non-Apple products. I'm all in favor of using non-Apple stuff, because competition keeps the industry healthy and promotes a flow of better products at better prices. If you want to use equipment not made by Apple, you don't have any choice. > Is there any advantages to purchasing hardware through the mail? You'll pay a lot less for it. But getting it fixed if it breaks, especially under warranty, may be tough - many local dealers won't do warranty work on stuff they didn't sell. There might not even *be* a local dealer for what you bought. If you have trouble setting your stuff up, or in using it, you won't have a friendly dealer to turn to. So if you don't need that kind of support, go ahead and buy via mail. But don't ask where all the local dealers went if they fold up for lack of business. (Unpaid political announcement) Cheers, Dick Binder (The Stainless Steel Rat) DEC Enet: ASD::BINDER UUCP: { decvax, allegra, ucbvax... }!decwrl!asd.dec.com!binder ARPA: binder%asd.DEC@decwrl.ARPA
geoff@burl.ATT.COM (geoff) (12/09/86)
In article <8612082146.AA24953@decwrl.dec.com> binder@fizbin.DEC.COM (NOW willya gimme some fightin' room?) writes: >Unless you need letter-quality printing, buy a good dot-matrix printer with a >parallel interface. They're faster and less expensive, and most of them have >enhanced printing modes to produce excellent correspondence-quality output. >Parallel cards are also less expensive than serial cards, and they don't >require any protocol hassles with whatever software you use. If you do need >letter quality, you can still buy a parallel printer - there are several >available now. > I have had an Epson RX+ (100 cps dot matrix) for a while now. I decided I needed a letter quality printer. Our local discount department store ("Brendles") was selling Epson DX-10 Daisy wheel printers for $200. It is very slow (10 cps) but it produces some very pretty text. I added a cut- sheet feeder for $60, so if I need several copies of something I can just start it printing and go out for the evening. When I get back, I have a sheaf of typed pages. I wouldn't give up my dot matrix printer; it is much better for drafts and such (the speed!), but the Daisy wheel is great for correspondence (it still prints at over 100 words/minute, so it beats the hell out of typing). Both printers use a parallel interface, so I just plug the cable into whichever printer I want to use. A switch would be nice, but they all seem to run about $80, which is more than I want to spend when I can plug cables! >For serial communications, you probably don't need both a serial card and a >modem - there are several good modems that plug right into the Apple. With a >plug-in modem, you pay less than for a two-part system, and you don't have to >deal with protocol between the two components. I don't have a modem, so I >can't recommend any over another. (MODEM USERS, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.) Preferred Computing sells an internal 1200 baud modem for $199. I have been quite satisfied with other stuff I have bought from them, but I don't know about this product. >Cheers, >Dick Binder (The Stainless Steel Rat) -- geoff sherwood ...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!geoff ...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!geoff
ranger@ecsvax.UUCP (12/09/86)
In article <8612082146.AA24953@decwrl.dec.com>, binder@fizbin.DEC.COM (NOW willya gimme some fightin' room?) writes: > > I was wondering if anyone out there could offer me some advice > > as to what type of hardware I should add too my present system. > > I have a basic system: monochrome monitor, two disk drives and an > > unenhanced Apple ][e. I was figuring on buying a printer of some sort, > > possibly a super serial card, and a 1200 baud modem. > If you are going to upgrade you might consider upgrading to the //gs. Rather than paying $100 for a serial card and $70 for a rom upgrade, you could pay $500 and get 2 serial ports, disk drive port, mouse, 2.5 times the normal speed, RGB color capability, and the new sound capabil - bility. You can then plug in your printer to one of the serial ports and a modem into the other. I would recommend an external modem. While it is true that an internal doesn't require a serial card or port, there are 1200 baud external modems that are available for $109 (Avatex modem advertised in computer shopper) so even if you have to buy a serial card the price is about the same and the external modem can be used with any machine whereas the internal modem can only be used with the Apple //. An external modem also gives you a little more protection from lightning strikes on the phone lines. With an internal modem the phone line is plugged directly into your machine, with an external modem the line plugs i plugs into the modem which is connected via a cable. I know several pe people who have had their machines zapped by lightning running in on phone lines to internal modems, but none who have had it happen with external modems. If you get the //gs upgrade, an external modem makes even more sense because the serial card is built-in. As for non-Apple products, I agree with the previous response, if it works and it is in your price range, buy it. You have to be sure that it works, though. Not just functionally, but in terms of compatibility. Several manufacturers make good products that are cheaper than Apple's products, but in the case of printers, few match the quality of output that the Imagewriter II has. Brother has just released an imagewriter compatible that you may be interested in. Be aware, though, that these manufacturers can make them cheaper because they leave out certain fe features that most people don't use, but may be important to you. Like the expansion slot on the Imagewriter II. Most people don't use it, but if you want to use the printer in a network you have to have it. Apple's products tend to be of very high quality, but they are also priced at a premium, you just have to compare features that are important to you vs the cost. Rick Fincher ranger@ecsvax