Keith, at 17:50 on May 27 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> Intel make their own modems (and they're not too bad, either), so I'd
BG> be very surprised if they were flogging RPI modems too. 
BG> Technologically, it's a hell of a retrograde step, and quite
BG> unforgivable IMO.

KR> they called theirs nsp (native signal processing) i think that the modem 
KR> was just the analogue circuits, plus some sort of modulator, the cpu 
KR> providing all the smarts, the protocol, ecc etc. 

A turd by any other name...  ANY modem which relies on EC in external
software is a heap of shit IMO (and those of most others, apparently).

KR> intel say that this makes the modem much more flexible as any new protocols 
KR> can be incorporated as software.

So can the Courier, but with those you don't need specific comms software
to take advantage of any new features or protocols.  The cost saving at
factory level can't be much, so I really wonder why they bother.

KR> that the cartridges for my stylus colour were $us32 as against $a90,

BG> Bloody hell, are these the SO20049 colour cartridges which my Stylus
BG> ColorIIs uses, and which I can buy locally for A$48 ?  BTW, have you
BG> tried using refills yet ?  I'm tempted (especially at the price), but
BG> after completly fucking my Canon's print head and purge unit with
BG> non-standard ink, I'm a bit loath to do the same thing to my Epson.

KR> no the stylus colour uses an s020034 black cart and an s020036 colour cart, 
KR> same as the sylus pro.

Oh good, you had me worried for a moment.  Yours has C-Y-M-B in the colour
cartridge, while mine is only C-Y-M and relies on a mixture of all three to
make black (although it does have a separate hi-res black printhead as
well).

KR> i think that calling your model stylus colour 2 is a bit of a marketing 
KR> exercise as the original stylus colour has more in common with the pro than 
KR> the 2.

Agreed, although whilst the ColorIIs is almost identical in appearance to
the Stylus 820 with colour kit, it has extended its resolution to 720dpi
(like the Color II), and reproduces colour photos superbly (on coated
paper, of course).  Sort of an in-between model, I guess.

KR> i haven't tried refilling, i have thought about it, there is a mob from 
KR> noosa that advertise in apc, but so far i have got all i need from the usa 
KR> at an acceptable price.

The Epson fellow told me on the quiet that although 3rd party ink refills
probably won't damage the printheads, the colours may not precisely match
theirs, causing "poor" output.  But at $2.50 per refill, who
really cares?

KR> a set of cartridges seem to last me about 6 months. the first lot ran the 
KR> black and colour carts out simultaneously, but although i replaced the 
KR> black unit about a month ago the current colour one is still going.

Not too bad, but still nowhere near as cheap to run as the old dot-matrix...

Regards, Bill
@EOT:

--- MsgedSQ/2 3.30