Castle Technology have announced "Pop-up Printers" - a new printer manager intended to replace existing versions of !Printers. It offers plenty of new features and fixes many long standing bugs.
The setting up of the system is made easy via new automatic configuration features. When a printer is connected an extra device icon pops up on the icon bar (hence the name). An "install new printer" shortcut allows other printer definitions to be installed with a double-click. A facility exists to duplicate existing definitions - allowing, for example, the user to toggle between draft and hi-res configurations of the same printer without having to substantially reconfigure the printer manager each time.
The printer manager can also cope with "long control strings" which many modern, low cost printers use for passing messages. Combined with seamless USB connectivity, this means that there is the potential for supporting a wide range of new printers.
Pop-up Printers is available now for RISC OS 5, and comes free with all new Iyonix PCs (existing owners can upgrade for free too). RISC OS 3 and 4 users need not feel left out as a compatible edition will be available soon. Castle will be on hand with their pop-up facilities at the Wakefield show.
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Castle pop up with new printer manager |
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fwibbler (19:06 23/4/2003)
Revin Kevin (19:44 23/4/2003)
andypoole (20:15 23/4/2003)
Rob Allen (02:21 24/4/2003)
fwibbler (11:09 24/4/2003)
andrew (12:44 24/4/2003)
fwibbler (16:52 24/4/2003)
ams (19:31 24/4/2003)
stdevel (10:31 25/4/2003)
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fwibbler |
Message #92049, posted by fwibbler at 19:06, 23/4/2003 |
Posts: 320
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If I was a cynical person (and I am) I'd guess that this wonderful new piece of software will only work with the Castle USB API. So only those people who purchased the other USB card need feel left out. |
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Kevin Wells |
Message #92050, posted by Revin Kevin at 19:44, 23/4/2003, in reply to message #92049 |
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It stated on the press release that it will work with pararell connections as well. So good news. |
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Andrew Poole |
Message #92051, posted by andypoole at 20:15, 23/4/2003, in reply to message #92050 |
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fylfot printers! (you have to be around #playpen in IRC to get that I suppose ;)) |
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Rob Allen |
Message #92052, posted at 02:21, 24/4/2003, in reply to message #92051 |
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Does this at all address the slow speed of printing from RISC OS machines? Never been sure if it was printing software routines, drivers or hardware that has been the source of pain in the past, and haven't seen comment on the Iyonix's capability in this area as yet.
I know there are spooler apps that help somewhat, BTW, but they only go part the way to relieving the waiting. |
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fwibbler |
Message #92053, posted by fwibbler at 11:09, 24/4/2003, in reply to message #92052 |
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Probably a combination of both.
You should note that a Kinetic is almost twice as fast as a Standard StrongArm machine in this respect.
Cheers! |
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Andrew |
Message #92054, posted by andrew at 12:44, 24/4/2003, in reply to message #92053 |
 Handbag Boi
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Caslte look like they're taking RISC OS in a whole new direction - I think the sooner an agreement can be reached with RISC OS Ltd the better. |
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fwibbler |
Message #92055, posted by fwibbler at 16:52, 24/4/2003, in reply to message #92054 |
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Not to mention all the companies that support the Simtec USB API |
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Annraoi |
Message #92056, posted by ams at 19:31, 24/4/2003, in reply to message #92055 |
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The sad reality is there are two USB API's. I don't know whether Castle's Pop-up printer software supports their compeditors USB Stack. If it does *not* support Simtec USB that would be a pity - but understandable. Castle's primary responsibility is to the purchasers of *its* hardware. Attempting to maintain pop-up printers for use with *both* USB API's as they get updated by both parties would (I imagine) be a nightmare. It would impose costs on Castle who do not benefit from this (after all when you buy a Simtec card Castle gets nothing do they ?). The only way it would make sense is if either (a). Simtec PAY for the support of their API and Castle maintain the software (b). Simtec license the Pop-up printers from Castle and Simtec maintain it or (c). ROL license it/maintain it and make the resulting binaries available to current RO licensees. Failing all that I don't see why Castle is in the least bit obliged to provide *any* support for any hardware other than their own. Regards Annraoi |
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Stuart Tyrrell |
Message #92057, posted by stdevel at 10:31, 25/4/2003, in reply to message #92056 |
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Umm.... the Simtec stack has supported plug-and-play printing from its inception. Admittedly at the moment you have to drag an icon from an existing window rather than a fancy new one. If there really is a demand for a pop-up "drag this here" window rather than the usual "drag this to the iconbar" configuration, we could release this for existing !Printers variants. There is an updated Simtec release due to do with multiple instantations of the same printer (eg use of multiple USB->parallel port dongles of the same type or USB printers same)- I'd like to see how this is handled elsewhere. Bear in mind that none of this (CTL or STD releases) magically makes new printers work unless they already have equivalent drivers for RISC OS - AFAICT you can't magically go and buy an Epson Photo 915 and expect the closed-standard-6-ink-system to function. |
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