kidokid

Upgrading really old setup

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I have a really old signmaking setup which has served me in good stead for years. I’m using a Flexisign 5.5 software (not Pro) together with a Roland 1100 cutter/plotter. I’ve mastered the software, but recently the Roland cutter gave up the ghost. In the meantime, I’m planning to buy a US Cutter MH 721 to finish my backlog jobs. What I’d like to know if my old software running on my antiquated Windows 3 OS will be able to run the MH 721. I’m entirely satisfied with my present setup except that I need to replace my vinyl cutter. Any response will be much appreciated.

Edited by kidokid

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You'll have to hook it up with the RS232 serial port, since your older computer is not gonna support USB.

Remember one thing ---  the plotters we use today were actually developed by Hewlett-Packard in the 1950s and the basic operation remains the same (as does the underlying interface language -- HPGL -- with slight driver/code variations by manufacturer).

Also, if you can afford to do so, the SC2 would be a better choice.

 

 

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I 2nd on buying a better cutter than the MH series vinyl cutters, it is a bottom of the barrel cutter with many known problems, static, tracking, communication, memory, just to name a few. 

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Kido I deleted your other duplicate post. I don't know that you meant to double post or not but we try to keep it to  one thread so future searchers have a better chance of learning from your journey. 

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Ok, I got to say it.  Windows 3??????????????  Not even Win 3.1.  I mean I could almost stand by a diehard on Win XP.  Almost.  But with Win 3 your shooting yourself in the foot.  Bite the bullet.  Go 64 bit.  The nineties called and ask for their OS back.  Your Win3 machine saw OS/2 on a milk cartoon and thought they saw him in the office cubicle at the end of the hall.  I understand you got the hang of the software, are happy were you are.  But you won't find a single new thing for that computer.  Your going to have problems getting any support.  The technical support you  may encounter probably weren't even alive when Win 3 came out.  Networking the machine to any other modern computer is going to be hair pulling.  No USB means floppy disks.  Sooner or later the Win 3 machine is going to die.  Why it hasn't is a miracle, like seeing Jesus on a piece of toast or something.  Exchanging or receiving artwork from clients is going to be like climbing mount Everest, backwards, blind folded, and on a tequila bender.  If you want to add a scanner, a modem, or anything, your going to have to move jumper settings around on the mother board, maybe the sound card and hope there isn't an IRQ conflict with your serial port.   

Change means you can lose control.  It means you face uncertainty, surprise, difficulty, humiliation, extra work.  But it has rewards too.  Every day it's a brand new world.

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I agree with the others, go at least one step up from the MH. I have a MH and wish I has gone for something a bit better. The MH will get the job done, but it's a bit more work than it should be.

As for the computer, if what ever cutter you get you connect to through the serial port the computer will be able to talk to it. No need for driver or anything of the sort. That being said, moving to a newer computer would be highly recommended. You should be able to still run Flexisign 5.5 on a new PC so you won't be learning a whole new system, just a new OS that is pretty straight forward for all the basic stuff. Windows updates only really get annoying when you start diving into the details and settings of things that a basic PC user would not be messing with anything.

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