Wow! Thanks to everyone for the response on plotters. Please allow me to clarify my functional needs and maybe we can turn these into hardware requirements or even product model numbers. I work with a lot of people a lot of the time, often on very technical and/task intensive stuff. Large teams. One of the most valuable tools I have found is to be able to display a project in terms of cost/ schedule/ performance on one chart - a BIG chart. To this end, I have used MacProject, MSProject and similar pieces of software for 15 years. I print the Gantt charts, PERT charts and other goofy charts out on a plotter. I hang the plots on walls for team meetings and let the team scribble on them to discuss changes or good ideas. That's 99% of what I use a plotter for. The other 1% are for computer system designs (hardware), software designs or technical designs (aircraft parts, machine designs, etc.). A 24" plotter isn't big enough for what I do. The next step up is a 36" plotter so that is my minimum size. A "D" size piece of paper doesn't get it either, I need "E" size. Color is extremely nice but not absolutely necessary. I use color to show the tasks of different teams, different colors for each team. I also highlight specific parts in a subassembly with color. I strongly DESIRE color. It would be less than desirable to have a black and white plotter but for a substantial price differential I could do without color. As for a "plotter" vs. a "large printer," I am old and have always called something that printed a huge piece of paper a "plotter." My requirement is not in what something is called but rather what it does. I need a piece of equipment that produces 'E" size prints of stuff from a Mac and a PC. Whether it prints or plots is irrelevant. The other consideration is cost. This for my personal use - the company isn't footing the bill, so I'm looking for a refurbished or used plotter/printer. Is that enough to get me in the ballpark? Gee, you'd think I had written computer system specifications or something....
By the way, at the February meeting we had a fantastic presentation on Final Cut. The "kid" (remember, I'm old) that presented looked better than many of the 20 year veterans that I've worked with. There was talk of starting a Final Cut meeting on odd nights to get into a little more detail. I never did get my name on the list. Did anything ever come of that? Thanks, Greg ------ Forwarded Message From: John Robinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:32:15 -0500 To: macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu Subject: Re: MacGroup: Plotters Greg, I am not sure what you are meaning by a plotter, but I have had two of their large format printers (36"' wide paper), that will print up to nine feet long. This link will take you to the spec. sheet, where it says it is compatible with the MAC. http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF25a/18972-236251-236266 -12600-236266-24023.html I would think you could check the H.P. website for your plotter and see if there are drivers for the MAC. John R. On Mar 13, 2005, at 10:12 PM, Greg Schoettmer wrote: > Any experts on plotters out there? I'm looking at an HP e-size plotter. > That's all fine and dandy but do they work with a Mac? I called HP and > the > bozo on the other end knew less than I do (scary!). Anyone else I talk > to is > just a PC user and they have no idea. They immediately revert to their > PC > ways and fathom that "there must be a web site that you can go to and > download a driver."Anybody know if all HP plotters work with a Mac? > None of > the HP plotters work with a Mac? Some do, some don't? > > Thanks, > > Greg > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will > | be March 22. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be March 22. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> ------ End of Forwarded Message | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be March 22. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
