| printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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Normal member in user
     posts: 2 since: 07 Sep, 2006 |
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1. printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| I have an old (~10 years old) computer running OS 2.1 and running an x-ray fluorescence system. The program only outputs certain types of data on the printer, and the IBM PPS II 2391 printer has died. I need a printer driver that fits on a floppy disc, runs on OS 2.1, and will work with some parallel port printer out there; I'm fine with buying a new printer to match the driver, but I don't want to replace a 10+ year old printer with another 10 year old one. Anyone have any ideas? If I can't get a new printer to do this, whats a *fairly* recent, reliable printer having an OS 2.1 driver? |
| Date: 07 Sep, 2006 on 21:57 |
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Premium member in user
     posts: 277 since: 10 Aug, 2004 |
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2. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| Hi, I havn't tried this with OS/2 2.1 myself, but if I recall correctly the IBM Omni driver will work on OS/2 2.1 and later (at least according to the readme file). Which means that any printer supported by Omni should work. As for ports, you can set any printer driver to print to any port, as long as the port is active and installed. In fact, I don't think the printer driver specification has changed mych since OS/2 2.1 days, so perhaps any of the official "IBM" drivers may work. Maybe someone else knows more. |
| Date: 07 Sep, 2006 on 22:48 |
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Normal member in user
     posts: 8 since: 30 May, 2006 |
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3. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| I am in agreement with Fahrvenugen. I have used the Omni drivers with OS/2 Ver 2.1 on early Cannon and HP bubble jets. Both these printers had parallel ports (USB wasn't). These printers worked fine with the Omni drivers. Many new printers only have USB, you may have to look to find a parallel port printer. With the Omni drivers you also may have to forgo some of the print features that a new printer would support (double sided,multipage, etc.). In the future, there is a project that would allow Windose drivers to be ported to OS/2. This should restore the print features to your new printer. Cliff |
| Date: 08 Sep, 2006 on 00:14 |
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Premium member in user
     posts: 152 since: 16 Aug, 2004 |
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4. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| I think the IBM 4019 and 4029 Lasers would work if you can find one. They are pretty durable and had many options for them (PS, PCL, and a few special IBM formats - one of which is I think the one you were referring to - as well as some plotter format). -Robert |
| Date: 08 Sep, 2006 on 02:40 |
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Premium member in user
     posts: 252 since: 09 Dec, 2002
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5. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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last updated at 08 Sep, 2006 03:27 (1 times) Is there a particular reason you need to run an old version of OS/2? If you went with the latest version (eComStation, AKA "eCS"), your options would be enhanced greatly ... including support.Also, (I have forgotten if OS/2 2.1 supports the postscript driver) perhaps looking into a postscript capable printer and using the postscript driver is a possibility. Buy now ==> http://www.ecomstaion.biz <== Buy now |
| Date: 08 Sep, 2006 on 03:25 |
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Normal member in user
     posts: 2 since: 07 Sep, 2006 |
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6. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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I'm stuck with OS 2.1 because of the program that runs the x-ray fluorescence system we use for thin film composition analysis; the most recent update to this from Rigaku is the OS 2.1 version, they have discontinued support for the tool. The program cost $30k, and buying a new XRF system is several hundred thousand dollars, aside from several man-months of redeveloping our calibration standards, so we'd really like to keep using this one. Thanks for the suggestions everyone, sounds like I need to look for an older printer, but hopefully newer then the one that broke (rubber rollers and belts just disintigrating from age). |
| Date: 08 Sep, 2006 on 16:03 |
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Premium member in user
     posts: 277 since: 10 Aug, 2004 |
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7. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| Yup, that'll happen on old printers. Based on the specialization of the system, you're best to stick with OS/2 2.1. Currently it works, no point trying to upgrade and potentially run into difficulties. To find a list of IBM supported printers, check the IBM device driver pack online at: http://www7.software.ibm.com/2bcprod.nsf/WebCat?OpenView&Start=1&Count=300&Expand=38#38 (scroll down a bit on that page and you'll find a list of printer manufacturers that you can click on to get a list of printers). If you click through to a printer and see that it lists the Omni driver, then there should be no problem using that printer (for example, click through to just about any of the HP Deskjet printers, any of the Epson dot matrix printers, and others, and many others it lists Omni). I *think* most of the other IBM drivers should also work with OS/2 2.1 too (the readme from the IBM postscript driver says it will work with OS/2 2.11 and above, so that should open up the possibility for any Postscript laser printers to work too). I hope this helps. |
| Date: 08 Sep, 2006 on 17:54 |
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Team member in admin
       posts: 535 since: 10 Dec, 2000
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8. Re:printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| Hi Researcher. I'm always interested to see the laboratory hardware that runs under OS/2. I'm just curious to know which is the Rigaku x-ray fluorescence system model that you are using ? Do you have some online screenshots to check it out ? Thanks Martin |
| Date: 08 Sep, 2006 on 22:03 |
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| printer and driver for old OS 2.1 system? |
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| All times are CET+1. |
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