Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!amdahl!drivax!liberato
From: liberato@drivax.UUCP (Jimmy Liberato)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Okimate 20 Impressions???
Keywords: Okimate
Message-ID: <2572F5BF.1E3D@drivax.UUCP>
Date: 28 Nov 89 21:16:46 GMT
References: <795@orange9.qtp.ufl.edu>
Reply-To: liberato@drivax.UUCP (Jimmy Liberato)
Distribution: na
Organization: Digital Research, Inc., Monterey, California
Lines: 79

sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (scott sutherland) writes:


>	I am looking for a low, Low, LOw, LOW cost color printer for my
>Amiga 2000. Got that? LOW (e.g. gutteral! ) ;^)  So I have my eyes set
>on the Okimate 20, which I have seen for less than $100.

Don't forget you need the Plug'n'Print cartridge for another $75 or so. 

> Now, I have a 
>friend who has one for their C64 and I noticed 2 problems. One, the image
>has horizontal strips between each section of ink laid down. Can this be
>"cured"?

No. :-(

 Two, the thing was EXCRUTIATINGLY SLOW!!!! It took 15 minutes just
>to print 1/3 of an image. Now, is this the same on the Amy? I know that
>one of the features of the 1.3 OS was much faster printer drivers. Is 
>there one for the Okimate 20? If so, approximately how long does it take
>for one image?

I can't give you a quantifiable answer.  Adjectives like "agonizing" come to 
mind.  1.3 is better but part of the problem is the nature of the process it 
uses.  The printhead must make a pass for each of the primary colors. 

>	I have also heard that, since the thing is thermal transfer, it can
>only use one part of a ribbon for each strip it prints. 

Yes.  The catch is that the colors are not parallel on the ribbon but rather
serial.  This means that there is a stretch of one color the length of the 
carriage immediately followed by the next primary color, etc.  The printer
"remembers" how much ribbon it has traversed hence the particular color it
is on.  So if you have a line that has only, let's say, one blue dot the ribbon
must go through the entire sequence even if the other colors are not used.
Since the ribbon is really a mylar strip coated with colored wax, it can't
be reused like an inked ribbon.

>approximately how many can one ribbon print? Now, I also noticed that there
>was one ribbon cartridge for B&W, and one for color. Let's say I am using
>one of the word processors that uses B&W and allows IFF color images to be
>inserted (or I want to highlight a particular word or phrase in color) like
>Pen Pal or ProWrite. How would this be done on the Oky 20? Would the software
>know enough to allow me to switch cartridges for B&W and color? Or does the
>color ribbon also have a Black portion to allow for this? 

I can't remember if the color ribbon has an explicit black section but if not
it can create black from the three primaries.

>	I recall seeing a review of color printers and their output for Amiga
>graphics. It looked at the Okimate 10 or 20, Canon one (cannot recall the #),
>and the HP or one of those $1000 color printers. Does anyone recall what 
>magazine and what had this review? I have all back issues of AmigaWorld 

AmigaWorld, early '87

>	Finally, any general comments about the Okimate 20 would be 
>appreciated. I am NOT looking to use this to publish anything, just
>to make hard copies of some of my images from DBWRender, QRT, Turbo Silver,

It is really hard to critcize the little thing since it is so cheap, but its
unqualified performance is quite pathetic.  If you do a lot of printing the 
cost of ribbons becomes substantial.  Text looks pretty nice on it but graphics
are disappointing.

I got a refurbished Diablo(Xerox) C150 for less than $400 a couple years ago.
That is only twice what you will pay for the Okimate.

I would suggest you try to find a used Xerox 4020 or better yet an HP PaintJet.
What good is cheap if you never use it?

Good Luck!



PS: Anyone using a PaintJet should try using the Xerox Inkjet Paper with it.

--
Jimmy Liberato   ...!amdahl!drivax!liberato