tvolin@gnh-applesauce.cts.com (Troy Volin) (02/01/91)
I have an Epson LX-800 (compatible with basically every Epson, so you can
ignore the model number). Can I use it with the Mac I've ordered (but not
received yet)? Will it require any special emulating software to intervene in
printing? Thanks in advance...
-Troy
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ARPA: crash!pnet01!gnh-applesauce!tvolin@nosc.miljohnim@euler.Berkeley.EDU (John Im) (02/02/91)
In article <7344@crash.cts.com> tvolin@gnh-applesauce.cts.com (Troy Volin) writes: >I have an Epson LX-800 (compatible with basically every Epson, so you can >ignore the model number). Can I use it with the Mac I've ordered (but not >received yet)? Will it require any special emulating software to intervene in >printing? Thanks in advance... > > -Troy The best way to hook up parallel printers to a Mac that I've found is using the Grappler by Orange Micro. You need the Grappler 9-pin, I believe, while the Grappler LX is for 24-pin printers. It's simply a cable with a hardware translator that translates the code from the Imagewriter print driver into instructions you specific printer can understand. So, you don't need additional cables or drivers, and it's 100% compatible (you can do anything an Imagewriter can, although it also means you can't take advantage of any special feature of your printer that the imagewriter can't do). I've been using a Grappler LQ (older version of the LX) with an Epson LQ-1000 for a few months. I've printed out tons of stuff from lab reports (with LOTS of graphs) to CAD drawings, and I've had no problems. I have no affiliation with Orange Micro or Epson. I'm just a very satisfied customer. - John
allbery@NCoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR) (02/06/91)
As quoted from <7344@crash.cts.com> by tvolin@gnh-applesauce.cts.com (Troy Volin): +--------------- | I have an Epson LX-800 (compatible with basically every Epson, so you can | ignore the model number). Can I use it with the Mac I've ordered (but not | received yet)? Will it require any special emulating software to intervene in | printing? Thanks in advance... +--------------- You have two choices: (1) Get PrintLink Collection. This gives you fast printing, but it only does 72dpi graphics. (Fonts are done at full resolution, however, so all-text documents come out quite nice --- especially if you have Adobe Type Manager.) (2) Get a Grappler LQ card. This is a combination serial-to-parallel converter (most Macs don't have parallel ports) and ImageWriter LQ-to-Epson converter; it does both graphics and text at full resolution, but since it does this by interpreting ImageWriter LW control codes and graphics and converting them to Epson LQ control codes and graphics *outside* the Mac, it's SLOOOOOOOOW. Some day, Apple will actually complete the "New Print Architecture" they were blathering about back when they first announced System 7 (it's now been put off until some later release, so what's new) and it may actually be possible to write decent print drivers without blackmailing someone at Apple for the super-secret information on how to write print drivers that they won't give us peons. :-( ++Brandon -- Me: Brandon S. Allbery VHF/UHF: KB8JRR on 220, 2m, 440 Internet: allbery@NCoast.ORG Packet: KB8JRR @ WA8BXN America OnLine: KB8JRR AMPR: KB8JRR.AmPR.ORG [44.70.4.88] uunet!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery Delphi: ALLBERY
johnim@euler.Berkeley.EDU (John Im) (02/07/91)
In article <1991Feb6.040415.6785@NCoast.ORG> allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery KB8JRR) writes: > >(2) Get a Grappler LQ card. This is a combination serial-to-parallel >converter (most Macs don't have parallel ports) and ImageWriter LQ-to-Epson >converter; it does both graphics and text at full resolution, but since it >does this by interpreting ImageWriter LW control codes and graphics and >converting them to Epson LQ control codes and graphics *outside* the Mac, >it's SLOOOOOOOOW. > Just a few corrections to the above: Actually, you only need the Grappler 9-pin for and Epson FX-800. The Grapper LX (new version of LQ) is only for 24-pin printers. It's also a cable, not a card, so you don't take up any slots. As for speed, I use a Grappler LQ with an Epson LQ-1000, and it prints faster than my housemate's Imagewriter (not to mention looking about 1000x better :-). In any case, the Grappler comes with a print spooler. It's not the greatest, but it works well. The best thing about it is that since you're using the Imagewriter driver, you don't have any compatability problems. - John
kpottie@icarus.cs.kuleuven.ac.be (Pottie Karl) (02/07/91)
I have a Grappler LQ, and I wanted to say that printing speed largely depends on the kind of mac you're using. I upgraded from a Mac+ to an SE/30 and print jobs that took 2 hours now only take 35 minutes. That's because the mac has to do some scaling from 214 dpi to 180 dpi. This scaling is very processor intensive. I wrote an article about the Grappler LQ, and you can ftp it from sumex-aim.stanford.edu as info-mac/report/grappler-lq.txt