I didn't express it very well, but what I was getting at was that there are so many different possible formats in between software and printer that somewhere in the middle there has to be a common format, e.g. Postscript, so that the "only" job is converting from this common format to the native printer raster format.
Which leaves us with two choices: 1. write drivers for every printer onthe planet 2. rely on Ghostscript drivers to do this, meaning we fed Ghostscript, it does the printer driving. Much as I hate the idea, option 2 seems to be the only realistic option for the printer end of things in the future. We can do what we like with QL software's drivers (i.e. whether the Postscript is produced by epsonps feeding ghostscript or whatever). Back to: qlsoftware->epson output->epsonps->ghostscript->printer or some such long winded solution. > > What I'm getting at, for Windows-only printers you might end up needing: > > > > 1. Postscript to Windows-printer converter > > 2. Epson to Windows-printer converter > > 3. HP PCL to Windows-printer converter > > 4. Canon to Windows-printer converter. > > 5. IBM-DOS-style printers to Windows-printer converter. > > I don't have a windows only printer, but from my understanding, each of those > uses its own internal format,commands etc. > The is no one "windows-only printer" - there are as any of them as there are > printers! If this is true, your idea above seems to become unworkable. > > > Another way not mentioned so far is to use any cash being sat on to go out > > and buy up hundreds of (say) Epson Stylus 880 colour printers (any cheap > > printer supporting a control code set easily used by a QL) while they're > > still out there and sell them off over the years to desperate printerless > > QLers and other poor retro computer owners. I suppose I'll get flamed for > > suggesting that an inkjet be the only one...people will probably need > > lasers or dot matrix, but at least this would ensure that A PRINTER is > available to us until QL2005 has been and gone and QL2015 is imminent :-) > > Right, what about cartridges? They usually continue to be available for years after a printer is no longer manufactured. Canon BJ10 ain't been around for years, but cartridges for it (both original and compatibles). Dilwyn Jones _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
