allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) (09/08/89)
Okay, how about native drivers for an Okidata Microline 390 (which emulates an Epson LQ-series printer)? Okidata doesn't appear to have Mac drivers as far as I can tell (please tell me if this is wrong!), and I doubt that Epson would be pleased if I tried to buy their LQ driver for the Mac.... I'm using a Grappler LQ currently, but would like to scrap it -- especially with System 7.0 around the corner I suspect Grapplers are about to become boat anchors.... ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc allbery@NCoast.ORG uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu "Why do trans-atlantic transfers take so long?" "Electrons don't swim very fast." -john@minster.york.ac.uk and whh@PacBell.COM
barry@wolman1.prime.com (09/09/89)
Any of the Epson LQ drivers should work with any printer that *exactly*
emulates an Epson LQ (similarly for Epson FX and printers compatible
with it). I've tried (for a weekend) an Okidata that was compatible
with an Epson FX and had no problems at all. The driver couldn't tell
it wasn't talking to an Epson. Unless there is something wrong with the
LQ emulation, I see no reason why either the GDT Print-Link driver or
the Epson LQ Software for the Macintosh driver won't work (I've tried
both of these drivers with an Epson LQ and a NEC LQ compatible). You'll
still need the Grappler to act as a serial to parallel converter unless
you get a separate converter or install a serial board in the printer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry Wolman | barry@s66.prime.com
Principal Technical Consultant | 492 Old Connecticut Path
Prime Computer | Framingham, MA 01701
| 508/626-1700, ext. 4187
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing in this posting reflects an official position of Prime Computer.parent@apple.com (Sean Parent) (09/13/89)
In article <1989Sep7.225252.3945@NCoast.ORG> allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) writes: > Okay, how about native drivers for an Okidata Microline 390 (which emulates an > Epson LQ-series printer)? Okidata doesn't appear to have Mac drivers as far > as I can tell (please tell me if this is wrong!), and I doubt that Epson would > be pleased if I tried to buy their LQ driver for the Mac.... > > I'm using a Grappler LQ currently, but would like to scrap it -- especially > with System 7.0 around the corner I suspect Grapplers are about to become boat > anchors.... What kinds of problems are you having with the Grappler LQ? Do you have the latest version (1.7)? At the developers conference Orange Micro expressed interest in continueing support for system 7.0 with new drivers. Orange Micro also has the Grappler LX available now that acts as a serial to parallel converter at 57.6K baud giving fast output if your device is capable of recieving information at that speed and the Mac can generate it fast enough. (Currently I would only recommend upgrading to the LX if you are running from a Mac II to a fast device like a DeskJet+ whose serial port cannot handle anything above 19.2K baud). The Grappler LQ may well become a doorstop to those people who own devices with high speed serial ports. The original target audience was for people with printers with parallel ports only (though the product evolved alot in the early days). Sean Parent
allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) (09/16/89)
As quoted from <4131@internal.Apple.COM> by parent@apple.com (Sean Parent): +--------------- | In article <1989Sep7.225252.3945@NCoast.ORG> allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon | S. Allbery) writes: | > Okay, how about native drivers for an Okidata Microline 390 (which | > emulates an Epson LQ-series printer)? > ( ... ) | > I'm using a Grappler LQ currently, but would like to scrap it -- especially | > with System 7.0 around the corner I suspect Grapplers are about to become | > boat anchors.... | | What kinds of problems are you having with the Grappler LQ? Do you have | the latest version (1.7)? At the developers conference Orange Micro +--------------- On order. However-- The biggest problem I have with the Grappler LQ is that the Imagewriter LQ driver plus the Grappler LQ INIT takes up twice as much memory as a native Okidata 390 or Epson LQ driver would. The next biggest is that it's slower than a native driver -- two levels of translation (QD->IWLQ->EPSLQ) is guaranteed to be slower than one. The other complaint is that I have doubts as to how well the Grappler will work with System 7, Orange Micro aside. But that's the *least* of my worries. +--------------- | expressed interest in continueing support for system 7.0 with new drivers. | Orange Micro also has the Grappler LX available now that acts as a serial | to parallel converter at 57.6K baud giving fast output if your device is | capable of recieving information at that speed and the Mac can generate it +--------------- Foo. Frankly, I don't need serial<->parallel conversion; I bought the serial module for the 390. ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery, moderator of comp.sources.misc allbery@NCoast.ORG uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu bsa@telotech.uucp, 161-7070 BALLBERY (MCI), ALLBERY (Delphi), B.ALLBERY (GEnie) Is that enough addresses for you? no? then: allbery@uunet.UU.NET (c.s.misc)