perkins@acf8.UUCP (Mark E. Perkins) (01/20/88)
Has anyone had any (good) experience with ImageWriter spoolers?
Configuration is a 512E w/ 2MB (Dove). MacSpool (Mainstay) is OK,
unless one wants to use a RAM disk. The RAM disk part of MacSpool
doesn't allow loading at startup, so it's a pain in the %$* to use.
The spooler part causes no end of problems when used with
Switcher or with another RAM disk (i.e., RamStart).
Can anyone tell me anything about the spooler from SuperMac?
Judging from the enthusiasm about DiskFit, my guess would be that
stuff from SuperMac is pretty solid, no?
Mark Perkins Walk softly and carry a megawatt laser.
Internet: mark@vml.psych.nyu.edu (that's VEE-EM-ELL)
Usenet: {seismo|ihnp4|allegra}!cmcl2!vml!mark
US Mail: Department of Psychology, NYU
6 Washington Place, room 970
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 998-7861macak@lakesys.UUCP (Jim Macak) (01/21/88)
In article <1560033@acf8.UUCP> perkins@acf8.UUCP (Mark E. Perkins) writes: > > Has anyone had any (good) experience with ImageWriter spoolers? >... > Can anyone tell me anything about the spooler from SuperMac? >Judging from the enthusiasm about DiskFit, my guess would be that >stuff from SuperMac is pretty solid, no? > Mark, In my office we have 5 Mac Pluses used for word processing, linked with TOPS and including 3 ImageWriter IIs. We bought SuperLaserSpool for spooling (not because we needed the LaserWriter spooling but because SuperSpool did not work on a network) in hopes that it would work as advertised. (SuperMac claims SLS works for both Imagewriters and LaserWriters. Unfortunately, our word processor in the office is Word 3.01, and SuperLaserSpool does not spool worth a darn when used with Word. If you spool a document and then return to Word to type another, the spooled doc stops printing while you are typing! Even if you stop typing and leave the cursor at the end of where you were working, the spooling remains paused. Move the cursor to previously typed text and spooled printing starts again. I called SuperMac about this and they blamed it on Word, saying Word 3.01 is too much of a CPU hog. They were working on a fix to be out "real soon...". (I called several months ago.) No word on a fix yet! I am not sure if any of this is pertinent to SuperSpool, or even to your situation if you do not use Word 3.01. However, in any situation, I would insist on testing SuperSpool (on your system) before buying it! Jim --->USENET: macak@lakesys.UUCP (Jim Macak) Standard disclaimer...
straka@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Straka) (01/21/88)
In article <1560033@acf8.UUCP> perkins@acf8.UUCP (Mark E. Perkins) writes: > > Has anyone had any (good) experience with ImageWriter spoolers? >Configuration is a 512E w/ 2MB (Dove). MacSpool (Mainstay) is OK, > > Can anyone tell me anything about the spooler from SuperMac? >Judging from the enthusiasm about DiskFit, my guess would be that >stuff from SuperMac is pretty solid, no? The quality of the SuperMac Spooler (SuperSpool) is definitely not on the par with DiskFit. SuperSpool works, but I'm not terribly impressed. Running 5.5/4.1 (no MF in this case), it does the basic job, but has its share of bugs and idiosyncrasies. Note: I have an IW I, not IW II. For example: 1) sometimes bombs when returning to the finder while in the process of printing, 2) making every page a separate logical print job (a real pain to cancel the rest of a 10 or more page job that gets messed up), 3) difficult (impossible) to cancel the currently printing page 4) you have to make it your startup application (or at least run it before it gets loaded) After that, you use the DA to access it. 5) if you do anything on the Mac, the IW comes to a screeching halt until you don't touch anything for ~ 5 seconds. This can make you want to leave the room while things are printing because it's rather disturbing. 6) draft mode is changed. It's now like "middle" mode, but bi-directional instead of uni-directional printing. Leaves your printouts looking slightly odd due to timing shifts of the printhead (at least on my IW). On The other hand... It can be deinstalled/reinstalled at a click of a button with the DA. Comes free with a DataFrame disk as part of the utilities package. Summary: It may be better than most (or all) of the other IW spoolers out there, but I'm NOT impressed. It's certainly not worth spending much money on. -- Rich Straka ihnp4!ihlpf!straka Advice for the day: "MSDOS - just say no."
briand@tekig4.TEK.COM (Brian Diehm) (01/23/88)
>> Can anyone tell me anything about the spooler from SuperMac? > >Unfortunately, our word processor in the office is Word 3.01, and > >I called SuperMac about this and they blamed it on Word, saying Word 3.01 is >too much of a CPU hog. > >(I called several months ago.) No word on a fix yet! We have used SuperLaserSpool in our group for a couple of months now, and were unaware of any hangup with Word 3.01 --- works fine thank you. It also works on my ImageWriter (not II) at home. Perhaps since we got it so recently, the "fix" was already "in." At any rate, I received an upgrade offer from SuperMac just yesterday. And in the upgrade for SLS it mentioned 1) Multifinder compatibility and 2) Word 3.01 fix. -- -Brian Diehm (SDA - Standard Disclaimers Apply) Tektronix, Inc. briand@tekig4.TEK.COM or {decvax,cae780,uw-beaver}!tektronix!tekig4!briand
changwoo@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Chang Woo) (02/01/88)
In article <2385@tekig4.TEK.COM> briand@tekig4.UUCP (Brian Diehm) writes: >> Can anyone tell me anything about the spooler from SuperMac? >We have used SuperLaserSpool in our group for a couple of >months now, and were unaware of any hangup with Word 3.01 --- >works fine. [deleted] >...the upgrade for SLS it mentioned 1) Multifinder >compatibility and 2) Word 3.01 fix. Yes, I just received an upgrade notice from SuperMac about SuperSpool 5.0. I've used SuperSpool 4.0, and found several problems concerning Word 3.01, especially if I quit the Word program while printing process is going on. SuperMac claims that version 5.0 has no problems with Word 3.01, so this could be a good investment. Except for Multifinder and Word incompatibility, (obviously two BIG problems), SuperSpool is a fine program to recommend. It will be released on Feb. 15, so check it out. Usual stuff about "no relations with such, such", etc. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Chang P. Woo HB 2932, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 ! ! changwoo@eleazar.dartmouth.edu ! ! ! ! No fancy disclaimers. I am unemployed. ! ! ! ! "When all else fails, read the instructions." ! ! -- Ancient Chinese Proverb ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!