Andrew (R.S Admin) @ajroach42@retro.social

Dot Matrix because:

- I should be able to print around 1500 pages of text on a single ribbon

- a new ribbon is $10

- If things get real ugly, I could probably manufacture my own ribbon

- Most dot matrix printers still have a parallel port, so I can use them from my #zinestation or my #win98 rig directly.

Personally, there's another facet to all of this:

I use and maintain computers professionally, and recreationaly.

Sometimes, I want to do something that doesn't feel or look like my day job. Unfortunately, most of my hobbies feel and look a lot like my day job.

To that end, I have some weird old computers that I keep around because they're useful and also because they're Vastly Different than the computers I use at work.

My #zinestation, mac plus, and palm pilots fall in this camp.

One thing that really frustrates me about this conversation is that it's basically the same one I have been having with myself for weeks/months.

So I need to add a couple of additional things:

- Printing. I print directly from my #zinestation from time to time, but mostly I prep documents in word on the zinestation and then transfer them to my windows 98 machine to print, or a prep them in markdown, then write CSS and print them from my main PC.

This can improve

So I'm seriously considering ... Converting all the pictures I want to use to bitmaps and doing the layout on my #zinestation

but the zinestation *really* sucks for working with images, and I don't love Publisher on Win31, but it outperforms the other options by a Wide Margin, and I also don't know how I/if I could migrate the files from whatever DTP I use on the zinestation to something more modern for print.

If it's not on that list, I'm probably not thinking about it right now.

I mean, except for my #zinestation, I'm always thinking about that.

And #fakedTV, I'm thinking about that too. But I can't make any progress on either of those until I get some other stuff off my plate.

@ajroach42 the mouse on this one is a lot more reliable than the mouse on my #zinestation, which will make using Windows 3.1 apps easier.

Now to find the best windows 3.1 apps that'll run in a low ram environment.

Suggestions welcome!

Alright, I wanna talk about my current projects for a second, so that I can keep a record of what I'm working on, and update anyone who's been following along.

Threaded for my ease of referencing. I'll try to keep it short.

Current projects:
#MountainTownToys
#JupitersGhost
#ZineStation (and accompanying omnibook work)
#ExpeditionSasquatch`
#fakedTV
Everything else

A friend found another omnibook, the same as the one I use in my #zinestation and is sending it to me.

Normally, I would not need a spare and I would give it away to someone else, but in this case I am keeping it for a few reasons: 1) It has some cosmetic and physical flaws which mean that I'm going to have to do some work on it, and once I've done that work I know I'm going to want to keep it. 2) It's a gift from someone I don't see much.

So I'm going to have a spare HP Omnibook 300. (thread)

Anyone have any leads on a version of SSH2DOS that supports modern encryption methods?

Or tips for any other way to make a secure internet connection from my #zinestation to home server? (I guess I could run a Tor proxy hotspot on my phone...)

I've noticed that I tend to take a lot of pictures and make a lot of posts during the early exploratory phases of a project, and not as many during the final implementation.

This is largely unintentional. It's just the way my brain works.

I haven't, for example, talked about the #ZineStation in a while (although I use it just about every day, it's what I write on at the coffee shop, and I print pamphlets and newsletters with it regularly.)

1 - Expedition Sasquatch: is going well. I have several episodes, a hat, t-shirts, and stickers for the show. Feedback has been largely positive.

2 - #ZineStation: is done? I have a good workflow. I can do wireless file transfer from Windows 3.1 and DOS to windows 98 or Linux. I can write a lay things out on my AA battery powered HP Omnibook, or I can do layout on Windows 98, or even on my modern linux rigs.

Alright, I'm getting ready to release some zines from the #zinestation and I have some thoughts that I want to explore:

Specifically:

- Newsletters
- Brochures
- Legal sized paper

I've done a few dozen individual issues of multi page zines on this setup, and it works pretty well. the results look good. It's not a *huge* amount of effort, and my error rate for misfed sheets is low enough that this is still the cheapest way I've ever printed anything.

(in other news, the #ZineStation has reached what will likely be its final form and workflow. Expect a few zines a month starting next week.)

I got one more omnibook (an 800CT)

This will be my last omnibook for a while, I imagine.

This one was cheap, and damaged, but repair was really simple and now it boots to a clean install of Windows 98.

It has a pentium MMX at 166MHz. It can play Opus files without any issue, and it appears that the included battery even has some life left in it.

This one is going to serve as part of my #zinestation, and has served as a good demonstration that #floppycast works on a pentium MMX.

#ZineStation - I'm writing three days a week, I'm learning how to use word perfect, the windows 98 box is serving as my layout and print hub for now. I should have several print zines up online this month.
#StarDrift - ahhh! This appears to actually be hapenning. I have to collect my notes, make sure they are coherent, and send them off.
#podcasting - I have an episode of #SquatchSquad written. I found an editor and a studio. Other podcasts in progress.

I finally got around to installing wordperfect on my omnibook.

And I have wordperfect drivers for my printer, which are hopefully fully featured (supporting graphics and multiple columns well.)

If they are, Great! Wordperfect will be my primary editor on the #ZineStation (386 and 486 edition, at least. The Pentium and later versions will probably get word 97, and I'll keep using multiprint on the 286s and below.)

Oh right, #ZineStation #RetroComputing

Today I worked on my #DOS \ #Wim31 powered #ZineStation for a few hours.

I printed sample text blocks from 6 programs. I was satisfied with the output of two of them, I have four more to test.

I also installed publisher and started playing with clip art and designing covers.

Publisher runs like ass on this machine though, and the functionality is pretty limited in version two.

So I might keep it's clipart, but use a DOS based program instead (I just have to get laplink remote working first.)

Alright, I am doing some test prints and formatting stuff today on the #ZineStation.

So far, results are pretty mixed! That's better than I expected, I figured results would be uniformly bad.

The program I was planning to use as my booklet formatter defaults to 80 columns (which at 5.5" wide is entirely too small!!) It also throws an "unregistered" heading at the top of every page, which I think I'm going to leave becuase it's cute.

Time to grab some headphones, my Walkman, and an omnibook, head to the nearest free seating at any of the four coffee shops I can walk to, and write pretentiously for an hour or two.

#success

#zinestation