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From: dmt@mtgzz.UUCP (d.m.tutelman)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.trs-80,net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Printer advice needed
Message-ID: <1068@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 11:35:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.1068
Posted: Thu Aug 22 11:35:19 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 17:57:05 EDT
References: <756@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Middletown NJ
Lines: 53
Xref: watmath net.micro:11600 net.micro.trs-80:376 net.micro.pc:5053

> I am in the immediate market for a printer.
> I have a few requirements that need to be satisfied by this printer.
> .... 
> 	4)  IBM compatability
> 	5)  Dot matrix printing (for graphics)

BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU MEAN BY "IBM COMPATIBILITY".

A lot of printers will work with the IBM PC, brethren, and clones,
if you buy the proper cable. That's the easy part.  Much harder is
to find one that will work with the APPLICATION SOFTWARE you have.
Find out what printers your favorite software supports, before you
decide on the printer.

The difference is in the control codes and escape sequences that
do stuff like font control.  The set supported by virtually all
software is the control set of the Epson FX-80 (also sold by IBM
with their name on it).  Printers that claim "Epson compatibility"
are more likely to work with your favorite word processor or
poster editor than those merely claiming "IBM compatibility".
And even some that are close otherwise have incompatible graphics;
take, for instance, my Gemini 10X (whose graphic incompatibility
leaves me without a good "paint-type" program to prepare presentation
visuals. Oh sure it does graphics, even higher-res than Epson;
but "better" necessarily means "different").

The best ways to determine REAL compatibility are:

-	Check ALL the software you ever intend to use for the
	printers they support, and buy only from the intersection.

-	If the intersection is null (or unknown; surely you'll
	want something someday that you don't know about now),
	then be sure that the printer you buy has a compatible
	control set.  Ways to assure this include (1) get a list of
	the Epson FX-80 control set, and compare it with the printer's
	manual BEFORE you buy; (2) run your most demanding software
	on it (at least graphics mode, and a WP-generated document
	with subscripts and all fonts).  One way that DOESN'T work
	is to ask the salesperson -- they generally don't know about
	this, and have a vested interest in saying "yes" in any event.

Among the machines I believe to be compatible are the AT&T 473,
and the Star SG-10.  No guarantees, though; I haven't done any serious
testing. I do know that the C.Itoh 8510, the Gemini 10X, and some
of Okis are cable-compatible but control-code incompatible (the Gemini
is close, but slightly screwy graphics).

			Dave Tutelman
			Physical - AT&T Information Systems
				   Holmdel, NJ 07733
			Logical  - ...ihnp4!mtuxo!mtgzz!dmt
			Audible  - (201)-834-2895