ruane@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Michael T Ruane Sr) (01/26/89)
Hello fellow netlanders! My grandparents recently purchased a new tandy 1000. I'm not sure of the model number, but it contains 640k and one 3.5 720k drive. They have been having trouble with the deskmate prog that came with it. At the time of purchase, they also bought a new Tandy DMP-132 printer. The text prog that came with it has drivers for a dmp-105, and we have encountered a whole sh*tload of problems. My question(s): Is there a driver yet for this 132? The manual says it emulates an ibm-80 printer. I haven't heard of that either. :-( I tried a version of Wordstar on that machine. What is the printer name?? Sorry, it's Wordstar 4.0 Hope you all can help! Thanks in advance!! Mike
jmj@mhuxu.UUCP (J. M. Johnson) (01/26/89)
I've had a Tandy 100SX and DMP-130 for over 2 years now. Most of the time
I use the printer in IBM mode. If I remember correctly this is selected
by dip switch 1-1 (Tandy control codes or IBM control codes). The printer
behaves very much like a Proprinter (this is the definition I use in Word
Perfect). Many software packages support the DMP-130 in Tandy mode though,
like Word Perfect (ver. 4.2). Check the printer manual near the front where
it talks about dip switch settings.
--
Life's just a game, you fly a paper plane, there is no end. - TBA
J. M. Johnson, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Reading, PA ...!att!mhuxu!jmjreyn@trsvax.UUCP (01/27/89)
When using a DMP-132 with DeskMate, it is best to put it into the "IBM"
mode, and select the "IBM GRAPHIC" driver from the Printer Selection
accessory.
The DMP-105, to put it mildy, has an oddball instruction set. Amoung other
considerations, its graphic band is 7 bits high and 60 dots per inch. The
"Tandy" mode of the DMP-132 is not compatible with the "Tandy" mode of the
DMP-105, and for that matter neither of those are compatible with the
"Tandy" modes of the DMP-21xx series of printers.
The "IBM" mode of the DMP-132 is far superior, with a graphic band 8 bits high
and 120 dots per inch (horizontally). This mode can be set by dip switches
on the printer, and is the preferred mode of operation. (Rumor has it that
the printers are actually shipped in this configuration).
Most major software includes drivers for the "standard" IBM graphic printers,
so putting your printer in that mode is a good idea anyway.
It sounds to me like you have a Tandy 1000 SX with the 1987 vintage Personal
Deskmate. If this is true, you should check with your local Radio Shack to
see if the cheap upgrade to DeskMate 3.0 is still available. It's a MUCH
better product, with MUCH better documentation for the beginning user.
With out sounding too much like a commercial, the Text program and Draw program
improvements are worth switching by themselves. ( I can't help it, somebody
finally asked about a project I actually worked on, and I can't contain myself)
John Reynolds
DeskMate Type Programmer
Tandy R&D
As usual, Tandy isn't responsible for my opinions.reyn@trsvax.UUCP (02/21/89)
The DMP-132 is not compatible with the Personal DeskMate DMP-105 printer driver. I recommend setting the 132 in IBM emulation mode and using the IBM GRAPHIC driver, it has higher resolution than the Tandy mode anyway. I also suggest you look into updating to DeskMate 3. The upgrade is relatively cheap, and it's a much better product. In addition to the "free" applications, there are several third party vendors (Broderbund, PFS, etc.) which are now using the DekMate interface. All of these applications use the same GUI (Graphical User Interface), and are easy to use once you've learned to use one of them. John Reynolds DeskMate Type Programmer Tandy R&D in beautiful Ft. Wuth As usaual, my employer is unaccountable for my ramblings.