Digital BW, The Print

Hi Austin,

Can you elaborate on the differences between the 1160 and 3000 and why the 
3000 is so much better?

I have been wanting to get a 3000 for larger output.  I now use the 1160.  
But I have a new computer with W2K and there is no status monitor available 
under that OS for the 3000 and 1520.  I use a 1520 and without the monitor it 
is a real pain in the neck.

My hangup with the 3000 is thinking I will run out of ink the last inch of a 
big print so I have put off the decision.

Helene


> I have tried Piezo on an 1160, that I specifically bought for Piezo when the
> 3000 had banding problems...before the driver was updated to eliminate
> them...and I really hated the 1160.  The 3000 gave me FAR better output.
> 



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Hi Helene,

> Can you elaborate on the differences between the 1160 and 3000
> and why the
> 3000 is so much better?

The 3000 prints looked a LOT better, and I like the large paper size
available for the 3000.

> But I have a new computer with W2K and there is no status monitor
> available
> under that OS for the 3000 and 1520.

I don't believe the 3000 has direct access to the ink levels...though the
hardware seems to support it...there is a lever that goes into the
cartridges, and I believe it does have some "idea" as to the link
level...much less when it believes it's out.  The 1160 etc. actually count
the number of ink drops they print...so that's done in firmware, not by
actually measuring the ink.

Regards,

Austin

On the 1520, under W98, with status monitor, you are given a warning of low 
ink levels and you can continue printing.  After a while, the printer locks, 
and you cannot print.  

Under W2K with the 1520, you just run out of ink and see it on whatever you 
have printed -- a good way to ruin the heads I would imagine.  There are no 
ink warning lights on the 1520.

There was a status monitor for the 3000 under W98.

Helene


> There are actually two sensors for each cartridge, a "cartridge present" and
> an "ink out".  I believe you probably can't print with no cartridge 
> present,
> but I haven't tried that, but you certainly CAN print when the ink out 
> light
> is on.  There can be quite a bit of ink left when the ink out light is on.



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Actually, I believe it is the other way around for the 3000/1520.  When I 
went searching for a status monitor for my 1520, I think I read that it was 
available (but not for W2K) only with parallel connections.

Helene


> It occurred to me that you may be using USB on your printers?  Do the Epson
> status monitors only work with USB (and possibly network), and not with
> parallel connections?



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