Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!husc6!bloom-beacon!primerd!barry From: barry@primerd.prime.com Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Cheap Printers and the Grappler? Message-ID: <160700032@primerd> Date: 7 May 89 00:39:00 GMT References: <46700113@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu> Lines: 64 Nf-ID: #R:uxf.cso.uiuc.edu:46700113:primerd:160700032:000:3115 Nf-From: primerd.prime.com!barry May 6 20:39:00 1989 thompson@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu inquires: >I wonder. I haven't seen this posted all that frequently on the net, and > I am now in a position of curiousity. >My sister has a 512KE and is looking for a cheap printer. She currently > has an Epson LX-80 left over from when she had her Apple ][. >1. I know that a "Grappler" exists for such a beast... but which one? > LQ? C/Mac? You need the C/Mac version, which converts Imagewriter control codes and provides the serial to parallel conversion. If you're mainly interested in bit-mapped output (no draft mode), the Grappler work. It's slow, but did the job when I tried on with my FX-80 a few months ago. Draft output was slower than Best output! >2. Does this Grappler thing give her full Imagewriter capability? If > not, what is it missing? I don't think she'll be able to use desk accessories like MockPrinter and miniWriter than write directly to the printer w/o going thru printer driver. For example, MockPrinter uses the character set download feature of the Imagewriter. I don't believe this will work with Grappler (I forgot to check when I did my tests). Make sure the LX80 can do reverse line feeds - If it can't some graphical output may not be right. >3. Maybe it would just be cheaper to sell the Epson and buy a printer > with full Imagewriter capability. I have seen ads for the "Seikosha > SP 1000" for around $235, certainly reasonable. Has anyone used this > brand or model? Is it really "Imagewriter I compatible"? Is > it any good? Will it last? Will it work? My brother-in-law has a Seikosha. It is 99.9999+ compatible with the Imagewriter I. I checked the command set supported by the Seikosha - the only difference I found had to do with the Danish language option. I tried it with a variety programs without encoutenring any problems. MockPrinter, miniWriter and programs like that work fine with the Seikosha. It is a fine, but slow printer (1/3 speed of an Imagweriter II). $235 is slightly more than my BIL paid. He's only had it about three months, so I can't say how long it will last. It does not appear to be as rugged as the IW-II. The warantee is at least a year. You can buy two or three Seikoshas for what one IW-II costs. >4. Maybe we should just try to buy a used Imagewriter? Thanks in Advance, "Curious George" - Mark Thompson "The University Neither Knows Nor "Life in the Fast Lane -- Cares What I Am Saying -- Lucky mows you down before your prime." Them." University of Illinois at U-C ARPANET: thompson@uxf.cso.uiuc.edu USMAILNET: 202 E Springfield #3B, Champaign IL 61820 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Barry Wolman | barry@s66.prime.com Principal Technical Consultant | 492 Old Connecticut Path Prime Computer | Framingham, MA 01701 | 508/626-1700, ext. 4187 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nothing in this posting reflects an official position of Prime Computer.