Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!hp-sdd!hplabs!ucbvax!XEROX.COM!"Hugh_Messenger.EuroPARC"
From: "Hugh_Messenger.EuroPARC"@XEROX.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: More SLM804 annoyances
Message-ID: <881114-093413-1227@Xerox>
Date: 14 Nov 88 15:49:31 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 34

John,

I might as well add a few grievances of my own to the ongoing SLM804
knocking session.

1)	The Alt-Help screen dump.  If the SLM804 is not on-line and warmed up
(ie. if the back door is open), the screen dump will just wedge.  It
doesn't come back when the printer does come on line, the only fix is a
reboot.  This is a monumental pain in the ass.  Why oh why can't there be
just one little line of code that checks printer status and gives the user
some useful, informative feedback if the printer is off line?  This is the
kind of behaviour that drives me up the wall and makes me want to junk the
whole @$%*! system and go buy a Mac.  OK, I'm joking, but you take my
point?

2)	The last-page syndrome.  If you double click on a document and select
the print option, it prints fine except that the last page does not get
printed - instead, it lurks about ready to leap out and attach itself to
the front of the next document you print.  This wouldn't be so bad, only as
there is no FF at the end of the errant last page (which is presumably the
problem), the second document gets run straight onto the end of it, thereby
screwing up any page oriented formatting.  Sounds trivial, but another in a
long line of 'minor' annoyances with this printer.  (Having siad this, it
occurs to me that there may be a configurable option one can set via the
control panel.  If there is, I'll humbly retract this particular gripe).

3)	This isn't really a grump, more of a puzzle.  Occasionally in the past I
have booted my machine with hard disk and laser turned off - I just want to
copy some floppies or some such simple minded operation.  If I do this, it
is then impossible to format or copy floppies.  Why so?  How come just
having something plugged in to the dma port affects floppy formatting, fer
cryin' out loud?

   -- Hugh