What happens is when the Canon "ExtraKit" is booted, and the "Add" button in AutoLayout is clicked, we get the prompt:
"The printer is not registered in the driver. Add the printer in the driver."
I assume that to add a printer in the driver, I must go through System Preferences > Printers and add it. I cannot find any driver that is associated with the AutoLayout feature though, and nothing happens.
I called Canon Tech Support yesterday, a Friday, and within one minute was speaking to a person. Not bad, IMO, but about the same response time as Epson.
I described my printer and system setup, and he said, "Oh. Macintosh, eh?"
"Yes," I said, "I've had excellent results with Canon's Mac drivers, but that's not my problem."
"What is your probem, sir."
"I can't get Canon's 'AutoLayout' feature to work. I've loaded it twice, even checked for updates on the web, but can't get it to function. I just get the alert box that says 'The printer is not registered in the driver. Add the printer in the driver.' "
"AutoLayout?" Canon Tech Support says. "I've never heard of it. Are you sure it came on the CD with the printer?"
"Yep. It's supposed to allow me to arrange several print jobs on a single paper roll and print 'em all at once."
"Oh. You mean 'Free Style' ", says CST, "That's not available on for Mac, only Windows."
"
Free Style? What's that?"
"It's part of the ExtraKit that allows you to print from multiple programs and..."
"It's called 'AutoLayout' here. Why is it on the CD and loads into my Mac? There's even a page about it in the manual. Are you sure we're talking about the same program?"
"I don't know, sir. Let me load my ProGraf 8000 CD into this ol' Mac."
"You have a Mac there?"
"Yes, sir. But the CD drive is broken on my OS X Mac, so I have to load the CD into a Mac that's running OS 9 and copy it over. Give me a few minutes."
"
OS 9? Are you kidding?"
"No, sir. We must still support that OS. I get calls every day from photographers who drive their printers with an old computer running OS 9."
"Uh, tell your bosses that even Apple doesn't support OS 9 anymore, nor any hardware supporting that system. Canon is wasting man-hours with that approach. Time to move on."
"Uh, yeah. I'll tell 'em," says CST. "Hmm. My CD isn't loading on this computer either. I don't know what the problem is."
"The problem is OS 9. You can also tell them that by providing a piece of dead code called 'ExtraKit' that isn't even finished on product CDs --that ship to customers-- is one of the worst business decisions I've experienced in seventeen years of using computers."
"I'm sorry, sir. I will tell them."
"Do you know how many hours we've wasted here at my studio trying to get this program to function?"
"No,sir."
"How much time has this phone call lasted?"
"We're at about three minutes, sir."
"And you have no answer for me, except to wait indefinitely until Canon finishes the code. Is that right?"
"Heh. Well basically, sir, yes."
"Is there a way you can contact me when the code is finished?"
"No, sir. You'll have to keep checking Canon's web site," said CST calmly. "Is there anything else I can do for you today, sir?"
"No thanks. Have a good New Year. Good bye."
"Bye, sir."
................................................................................
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I still can't believe the program doesn't work. I will call CST again in a few weeks and hopefully talk with someone more knowledgeable.
Compared to Epson's tech support, Canon has failed here. I hope it gets better, especially if they sell more of these printers.
