The HP Deskjet Andthecoco
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the CoCo THE COLOR COMPUTER MONTHLY MAGAZINE May 1992 Vol. XI No. 10 Canada $4.95 U.S. $3.95 Feature Program Printer Tip Qi TheFastTrack: The HPDeskjet printer is an extremely useful tool for A any computer user. Indeed, having a andtheCoCo computer system without a printer is almost like having a pen but no paper to write on: You can create in your mind the world's olor Computers in our home get a lot of greatest novel, but you can't sell it in the C use: We write letters and reports, de book stores unless you can write it down. sign graphics images, even play a few 15 The same goes for artwork. If you have no games. Simply put, we love our CoCos - canvas, it doesn't matter how big your though at times we wondered if we needed palette is ur how many brushes you have. to "upgrade" to a more popular computer (Though my children don't seem to let this system. hold them hack - sigh.) The biggest problem we encountered The Color Computer's screen makes an was the rather limited output capabilities of excellent canvas for graphics creations. But the dot-matrix printer we used. This sum just try to take that baby on the road (talk mer one of my sons used Max-JO to write a about a hernia). Computer users often rely novel that was over I 00 pages in length. on their printers to finalize their work so Now, it takes about seven minutes to print they can share it with others or simply have a Max-JO page with our DMP-105, so he a permanent copy for themselves. To do tied up rhe computer for hours and hours. this we need sume way to get our creations Besides. we got tired of listening to the on paper. and this is where a screen-dump whining bzzzt-bzzzt-bzzzt noise this graph program comes in handy. ics printing caused. Simply put, a screen dump is a program Effective Baud Setting (Coco at High Speed) We decided there must be a better way. program comes in handy. ics printing caused. High Simply put. a screen dump is a program Effective Baud Setting (Coco at Speed) We decided there must be a better way. that prints a hardcopy of whatever is on the Although we saw that laser printers were coming down in price, they appeared to be screen. This may include text and/or graph Figure 2 ics. Since the CoCo's text and graphics incompatible with the CoCo software we use. And we received many blank stares screens are handled sepa designed to dump the PMODE4 graphics from computer sales people in the stores we rately, most screen-dump screen to a Tandy printer. The first program visited when we told them we use Color BASIC GI programs for the CoCo are is written in BASIC and uses the PPO INT Computers. (I doubt we are the only CoCo 0 Machne designed to handle one or the function to test each pixel on the screen to users to experience this. They always say, Language other. However, you can determine if it needs to be printed. The '•A what?'' Then they proceed to tell us that always use a graphics editor second version is in machine language. we need to upgrade to one of the new 25 to draw text on the graphics When that article was published.I was in ''whiz-hang·' computers, which just happen screen, so the programs we'll dire need of a PMOOE4 screen-dump utility to be on sale for only a few thousand dol look at here are designed to for the HP LaserJet printer we use here. lars. "No thanks. We still love the CoCo," I 20 print graphics images. Fur Knowing thar machine-language programs reply, and I leave feeling lonely.) "' ther, the proi,'famspresented See PMODE on Page 12 See HP DeskJet on Page 16 15 here are written for the � PMOOE4 graphics screen. .I; Received and Certifted 22 10 Q) Languages and Speed •Season Racer � In his l 988 series "Ma In this issue: by Joel Mathew Hegberg 28 • • 5 chine Language Made BA AufoGray: HSCREEN Dump Swap Around SIC" (THE RAINBOW, July by Stuart Wyss-Gallifent 4 by George and Ellen 1988 through July 1989), Bill Back Issue Information -- 24 Aftamonow 17 Nee describesseveral aspects '>BreakPoint •Title Screens of assembly-language pro by Greg Law 22 by Bill Bernico 30 gramming and makes it easy Coco.Consultations •rntralace: Update and Upgrade for the novice ML program by Marty Goodman 10 by H. Allen Curtis 20 mer to get started. In the third Delphi Bureau '>OS-9 Volume Names installment in thar series by Eddie Kuns 25 by Stephen Goldberg ___ 6 Figure 1 (September 1988. Page 98), •Fast PMODE Screen Dumps he presented two programs by Cray Augsburg 1 Product Reviews: HP DeskJet and the Coco DIR by Bill Palmer 1 from Robert Ruedy _____ 30 •ID: Get File Info DPMax 28 by Nick Johnson from Lucas Industries 2000 21 Intercom 18 Photon Letters to Rainbow 2 from Sundog Systems 4 Print#-2 Window Master 3.0 --- by Lonnie Fal ------ 2 k from Cer-Comp, Ltd. ___ 18 2 May 1992 THE RAINBOW ties are the most helpful. There have been computer. and still are in the world of CoCo - many Your CoCo is a good computer. lf you options from which to choose. really want or need to buy something new, THE RAINBOW This is not so in the world of the "CoCo however, my recommendation is that you IV." While some systems have had some buy an Intel-based PC. Tandy has some applications developed for them, the choices excellentones-and. by the time you read Editor and Publisher are few and far bet ween. Based on every this, will be selling some incredible ma Lawrence C. Falk thing I've seen, I do not feel this will change chines at incredible prices. Go out and buy Managing Editor Cray Augsburg in the years to come. one if you want. But don't expect an "in Associate Editor Sue Fomby The Coco Carries On For this reason, I cannot in good con credible" price in the PC world to be any Submissions/Reviews Editor Tony Olive · science recommend that you step "up" to thing as low as what it has cost you to gear Technical Editor Greg Law The way most of you probably reach any of the 68xxx computers. While we will up your Color Computer. Technical Assistants Ed Ellers, · decisions is incremental in nature - you most likely lose some advertising dollars by Tfyou do decide toex tend your comput .: ' Br�gory Shultz come up with some facts, think of some taking this editorial position. there is no way ing abilities with another machine. I think Editorial' Assistant Julie Hutchinson answer. then apply more and more [acts as we can support these products. I simply do you should stay involved in the CoCo Contributing Editors Tony. OiStetano, you go along, adapting your decision until not believe they are the best answer for you, Community. At home, my CoCo sits right Martin Go.adman, Eddie Kuns MD.; you think you have made a good choice. our readers. for the future. beside my PC. I use my Color Computer ·•'.ArtUiiecto r. 8eidi Nelson This is how I do things, too. As l mentioned in this space a couple of for a lot of reasons - for simplicity. for Designers:'1?ti&\on Adanis, Teri Kays, I have been moving toward this decision months ago. we intend Lo continue our cov ease of programming, and for just plain Consulting Editors Judi Hutchinson, (actually a recommendation) for a number erage of true CoCo systems. We' II do this fun. You can too. And if you have children. > ,/-Lauiie,D. Falk · of months now. Those of you who make it because we believe the true Color Computer there is no hetter way to get them involved Types�rier ''Debl)ee�Oiamond a habit to read this space will probably be system is the most versatile. best-supported in computing than with the Color Com able to think back about the things I have and greatest home computer available to puter. been saying and be able to "see it coming." day. Yes. today. For the price, nothing One final thing: IJ you arc a subscriber Bui it hasn't been an easy road to follow. toucl1es the CuCo. Nothing. to THE RAINBOW. we're offering you a , Falsott, Inc. and you ce11ainly do not have tu follow it special low price on a subscription to our with me. Here is what 1 think: PC publication, PCM. Just give us your There is no Color Computer IV. and RAINBOW subscription number and you President Lawrence C. Falk there never will be. The efforts of several can receive PCM for only $28 a year - a third-party companies to entice those of substantial discount off the regular sub General Manager. Peggy towi:y Daniels · you who want more power and abilities scription price of $34. Asst. General Mgr ..for finance from your CoCo-based (or, more correctly. lam under no circumstances suggest Donna Shuck Motorola processor-based) platform by ing you give up on your Color Computer. Admin. Asst. to the Publisher sel I ing you a ''new'' computer wi 11 not serve I have not given up on mine and do not Kim Thomps.on: · you well imo the future.