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Author Topic: Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.  (Read 12447 times)

jdyke

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« on: February 16, 2007, 04:11:01 am »

If you are thinking about updating to Vista in the future then please be aware of the following:-

This is a transcript from Epson:-

Agent (Darren): "On the current list of Windows Vista drivers your product is classed as 'no support'. There are a number of other drivers classed as 'no support'. Once the scheduled drivers have been completed the 'no support' drivers will be assessed and some may be produced, depending on a number of factors including demand. However at present there are no current plans for a driver for your product.

This is very bad news for all Epson 2200/2100 users and will now means that the printer will need to be totally replaced to work with Vista.  This is quite frankly a disgrace!!  Many older models are listed but not the 2200.

I'm afraid it's Goodbye Epson for me - I will never buy another Epson product!!

A very angry Epson User.
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madmanchan

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2007, 07:25:34 am »

You also have the option of not upgrading to Vista.
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Eric Chan

jdyke

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2007, 08:12:10 am »

Agreed but probably not for ever!!!  

I have no problem waiting and don't intend to upgrade until the bugs are ironed out.  

But you also have to look at the fact that alomost all new PC's will come preinstalled with Vista.

Now I appreicate that this may not be all down to Epson and that Microsoft have a lot to answer for with the Vista driver fiasco but for Epson to say that they will 'Probably' not bring out drivers for a printer that was/is used by quite a few people on this forum is a bit annoying.   Especially when the 1290 and other older printers will be supported!   Hopefully they may change their decision.

Now I have not tested it personally but I am told that the Windows 2000 drivers may work with Vista in a fashion (the bidirectional features such as ink monitor do not work).

I will let you know my findings - but this thread was basically to warn anyone out there with a 2200 that if they buy a new PC in the next 6 months they will may well have to roll it back to XP.

And yes...I probably should have bought a MAC but its a bit late to go down that path now.

Sorry this is such a 'downbeat' thread but I though I would warn other 2200 users of the problem (I am assuming that there are still a good few of us left)

I am told that 4000 users may be in the same boat?

Jon
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madmanchan

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2007, 11:08:08 am »

Yeah it's frustrating. I guess you can keep a PC around that still has XP so that you can drive the 2200. That way even if you get a new PC with Vista pre-installed, you can still print to the 2200.
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Eric Chan

rdonson

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2007, 01:14:15 pm »

In reality the list of unsupported devices is probably a LOT larger than just the Epson 2200.  In reality the 2200 is out of production as are a lot of other peripherals.  All we can do is contact Epson and let them know that we'd like drivers for Vista.

I own a 2200 and XP Pro but have no desire to go to Vista.  I've used PCs since they first came out in the 1980s and its time for me now to move to the Mac.  My next machine is going to be a Mac Pro.
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digitaldog

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2007, 02:03:30 pm »

Quote
I'm afraid it's Goodbye Epson for me - I will never buy another Epson product!!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101177\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Or Goodby MS and Vista which doesn't seem like a real stretch....
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jjlphoto

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2007, 02:31:50 pm »

Quote
I'm afraid it's Goodbye Epson for me - I will never buy another Epson product!!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101177\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Unfortunately for you, that's not where the problem lies.


Quote
Or Goodby MS and Vista which doesn't seem like a real stretch....
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101250\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
It seems more and more people everyday are adopting that strategy.
 
(But no one goes the other way. Funny how that is   )
« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 02:35:26 pm by jjlphoto »
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Nill Toulme

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2007, 02:39:51 pm »

I think I'm missing something.  Why is Epson's deciding not to provide drivers for a new OS (if that's in fact what they do) a MS problem?  And how does buying a Mac solve it?  Is Epson better about providing drivers for new versions of OSX than it is for new versions of Windows?

Nill
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madmanchan

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« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2007, 02:46:51 pm »

My (limited) understanding of the situation is that Vista is new and writing a printer driver for it is quite different than writing a printer driver for XP. And that this difference is much bigger than say, the differences between Win 2000 and Win XP. So Epson would have to make a bigger effort to write a new driver for the 2200 for Vista.

In contrast, the architecture for OS X isn't fundamentally changing, so periodic updates to OS X doesn't radically change the printer driver model. Not as hard to provide an update once the initial driver for OS X is in place.

So Epson's current view is that the 2200 is old, been discontinued for a couple of years, so don't bother updating it for Vista. Because it'll likely be another year or two by the time Vista really becomes mainstream, and by that time the 2200 will really be ancient and at least 2 generations old.

Plus, color management is a little screwed up in Vista anyways right now and MS will need to release a fix to deal with graphics hardware gamma curves. See Steve Upton's comments in the latest Chromix newsletter for details.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 02:49:15 pm by madmanchan »
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Eric Chan

digitaldog

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2007, 02:49:08 pm »

Quote
I think I'm missing something.  Why is Epson's deciding not to provide drivers for a new OS (if that's in fact what they do) a MS problem?  And how does buying a Mac solve it?  Is Epson better about providing drivers for new versions of OSX than it is for new versions of Windows?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101259\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Come on guys, of course Epson will eventually support Vista as they supported OS X after it first came out. But if you're going to rush out and drink the MS (or Apple) Koolaid and move to a radically new OS right away, you get what you deserve. No one is putting a gun to your head to use this new OS which I think would be a super dangerous thing to do on any machine that you hope to get real work done on. You might ask how easy it was for any 3rd party to get real info about the OS prior to shipping (how long did MS supply Epson with the necessary info to build drivers and did they deviate?). But to stop using a fine printer because the driver support isn't here is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Considering MS"s history in new OS's, rushing to install it on anything but a test machine seems super dangerous!
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madmanchan

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« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2007, 03:30:16 pm »

The distinction here is that Epson has said they will support current printers (like the 3800) on Vista. They have not said the same for the 2200.

But Andrew, your point about rushing to Vista being a dangerous thing is well taken. It's like paying to be a guinea pig until all the issues are worked out.
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Eric Chan

digitaldog

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2007, 03:47:44 pm »

Quote
The distinction here is that Epson has said they will support current printers (like the 3800) on Vista. They have not said the same for the 2200.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101266\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

And what about a 1200? My Fuji Pictrography? The old Kodak XL-7700 (no OS X, probably OS9 drivers). Stick with the old OS or update your printers (and other components). And will Vista run on a 5 year old PC? What about the ram requirements? I think you get the point.
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jjlphoto

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2007, 05:49:41 pm »

Quote
I think I'm missing something.  Why is Epson's deciding not to provide drivers for a new OS (if that's in fact what they do) a MS problem?  And how does buying a Mac solve it?  Is Epson better about providing drivers for new versions of OSX than it is for new versions of Windows?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101259\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


OSX is OSX. The act of upgrading from 10.3 Panther to 10.4 Tiger does not interfere with my ability use things written for OSX back in 2002 for example. When OSX 10.5 Leopard comes out his spring, again, it is designed not to interfere or render obsolete drivers that currently run on my machines. If I recall, I haven't re-installed my 1280 drivers since 2002 when I first installed my first venture into OSX, it was OSX 10.2 Jaguar.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 05:52:53 pm by jjlphoto »
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tsjanik

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2007, 07:44:57 pm »

Jdyke:

Relax, I think you misread the announcement.  Below is a portion of what appears at the Epson site:

Stylus Photo 1400, Stylus Photo 2200, Stylus Photo R220, Stylus Photo R260, Stylus Photo R340, Stylus Photo R380, Stylus Photo R800, Stylus Photo R1800, Stylus Photo R2400 Download*

* If your product name is grayed out, a Windows Vista download is not yet available. If your product is not listed here, it is not supported by Windows Vista.

The 2200 is grayed out, implying the drivers are not yet, but will be, available.
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Nill Toulme

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2007, 10:02:31 pm »

Quote
OSX is OSX. The act of upgrading from 10.3 Panther to 10.4 Tiger does not interfere with my ability use things written for OSX back in 2002 for example. When OSX 10.5 Leopard comes out his spring, again, it is designed not to interfere or render obsolete drivers that currently run on my machines. If I recall, I haven't re-installed my 1280 drivers since 2002 when I first installed my first venture into OSX, it was OSX 10.2 Jaguar.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Yes but I seem to recall a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth when OSX first appeared regarding the absence or tardiness of drivers, much like this.  Vista is as major an upgrade of Windows as OSX was of the Mac OS.

Nill
~~
[a href=\"http://www.toulme.net]www.toulme.net[/url]
« Last Edit: February 16, 2007, 10:02:56 pm by Nill Toulme »
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madmanchan

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2007, 01:35:09 pm »

I've read elsewhere that the XP driver works under Vista, except for the ink monitor. Just FYI.
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Eric Chan

eronald

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« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2007, 03:27:19 pm »

Use Gutenprint and get over it.

Edmund
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jdyke

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Warning to all Epson 2200 Users.
« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2007, 07:15:38 am »

Thanks for all the good points folks.

I had a feeling this would turn in to an 'upgrade to a 'Mac' thing....  '

I have nothing against Mac's but I am a PC user.  If someone wants to loan me the considerable amount of money a Mac and all the appropriate software costs in the UK (In the US Macs have always been a lot cheaper and a lot more mainstream) then let me know......  

My 'bone of contention' was that Epson seem to be happy to support 'OLDER' printers than the 2200 in Vista.  The trascript was actually from Epson so at present there are no plans for drivers.  And yes Microsoft do have alot to answer for!

The good news is that the XP drivers WILL work with Vista without issue as far as I can see.  The Status Monitor is the bit that does not work.  It just means that checking ink levels will be out for the time being.

And no - I am not a complete nutter - I have worked with MS producs for 15 years and will not be using Vista as my mainsteam system unitl its bedded in.  For the record though what I have seen of it so far (appart from the frustating driver issues) it's not half as bad as folk are making out.

Anyway thanks for all your responses (I am a bit calmer now after some deep breathing   )

Jon
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jdyke

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« Reply #18 on: February 19, 2007, 09:02:47 am »

Quote
And no - I am not a complete nutter - I have worked with MS producs for 15 years

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101641\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Actually perhaps I am a bit mad!!!
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paul55555

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« Reply #19 on: February 26, 2007, 11:18:35 pm »

Quote
Unfortunately for you, that's not where the problem lies.
It seems more and more people everyday are adopting that strategy.
 
(But no one goes the other way. Funny how that is   )
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=101257\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I understand that XP will be supported until 2014. If true, you'll likely wish to upgrade your 2200 before then.

   Good Fortune-Paul
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