[Coco] Serial to usb printers

[Frank Swygert]

I stand corrected! I'm not familiar with the high end printers, just the 
more common ones. I've got an older HP LJ 5p and I have a HP 2600dn. No 
longer use inkjets, but I have had a few in the past. Most CoCo users 
probably aren't interested in spending a lot on a printer, but I see the 
OJ6000 ranges from $72-$123 
(http://reviews.cnet.com/inkjet-printers/hp-officejet-6000/4014-3156_7-33676682.html?orderBy=totalPrice&tag=mncol;checkprice#onlineStores) 
-- not too bad if it works through a serial to USB adapter. According to 
the specs on the HP site it supports HP PCL3 GUI. The processor 
requirements for Windows 2000 (the oldest listed) are pretty low (PII or 
Celeron, 128MB RAM), and the processor in the printer is 192 MHz (not 
brand/type given) with 32MB. I think the internal processor, rather than 
handing that off to the computer, is why it's relatively fast compared 
to others. The only requirement I don't like seeing is Internet 
Explorer. That is supports "PCL3 GUI" has me concerned that IE is used 
to set the printer up. If that's all it's used for one could connect to 
a Windows box (also supports Mac and Linux) and set it up, then connect 
to a CoCo. If anyone has actually used this printer (or any other) 
directly attached to a CoCo through a serial to USB adapter or even a 
parallel port or home brew card/adapter of some sort, how about letting 
the rest of us know? I'm no longer using a CoCo, but would be nice to 
know what readily available modern printers were known to work. Even 
that the relatively old (over 10 years) HP 540 will work is nice to know 
-- still a few of those in good condition around, and should be better 
than an old dot matrix that ribbons are getting hard to find for. Looks 
like Epson still makes an affordable dot matrix though, the KXP-1150 
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828105020). 
============================= Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 06:39:23 -0500 
From: "Theodore (Alex) Evans" <alxevans at concentric.net> On 12-06-13 
06:17 AM, Frank Swygert wrote:

> The HP 540 is "modern" compared to a CoCo, but you can't get them new
> any more. Nice to know that it is one of the inkjets that have a "brain"
> and are usable with a CoCo though. Much nicer than an old dot matrix.
> There are no new inkjets that will work that I know of though, nor will
> most laser printers. Some of the older laser printers would work as
> well, but nothing since 2000. The HP 540 was introduced in 1994
> according to the HP support site. I do believe it was discontinued by 2000.
That is an arbitrary date, and patently false.  All the cheap printers
don't support any real printing language, but a number of the more
expensive ink jet and laser printers support PCL and/or Postscript and
as a result are usable with the CoCo.

As a random example, the HP Officejet 6000 and the HP LaserJet Pro
P1600dn support PCL.


-- 
Frank Swygert
Editor - American Motors Cars Magazine
www.amc-mag.com