This working ER20 PenWriter is the Marktplaats find of the year!
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@humanhorseshoes ideally to use it as a pen plotter via g-code or hpgl, in addition to being a quirky typewriter.
@th @humanhorseshoes Up until just a few years ago, many PC motherboards still included a bidirectional parallel port, usually as a DIL header that you can connect to a D-type backplate. If you have such a board with Linux on it, and make up a suitable "crossover" cable, the world will be your lobster. 🦞
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@th back when I picked up a HP inkjet for endless A0-width paper ("Harry Plotter", as we called him when he moved into our bedroom, as the only place with enough spare space), a 5€ "USB to Printer Cable" (literally what it says on the label on the cable, USB-A to Centronics); specifically, [this](https://preisvergleich.heise.de/sweex-cd004-usb-parallel-a639760.html) plastic-grade nonsense dealt very well with the situation. Probably something you can find on classified ads/ebay.
@th I'd expect every <50€ adapter to work equally well, https://preisvergleich.heise.de/?cat=kabusb&hloc=de&xf=3256_USB+auf+parallel&asuch=usb+parallel&bpmin=&bpmax=&v=k&plz=&dist=&sort=r&bl1_id=30
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This working ER20 PenWriter is the Marktplaats find of the year! #PlotterArt
@th I have one of those! Unfortunately finding the pens for it is a bit of a nightmare.
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@th I'd expect every <50€ adapter to work equally well, https://preisvergleich.heise.de/?cat=kabusb&hloc=de&xf=3256_USB+auf+parallel&asuch=usb+parallel&bpmin=&bpmax=&v=k&plz=&dist=&sort=r&bl1_id=30
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Even my #retrocomputing collection doesn't include Centronics cables anymore. Any recommendations for parallel port adapters?
@th hmm, this does look like a GPIB port -
@th I have one of those! Unfortunately finding the pens for it is a bit of a nightmare.
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Even my #retrocomputing collection doesn't include Centronics cables anymore. Any recommendations for parallel port adapters?
Can your typewriter make Pie Charts?
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Can your typewriter make Pie Charts?
@th heeeeeey I recognize those tiny ballpoint plotter pens!
In the early 90s I had the Radio Shack TRS-80 series mini plotter that took those. That thing was adorable.
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Can your typewriter make Pie Charts?
@th I still remember the sound of it rotating pens using the small pawl on the side. whirrrr clickaclickaclickaclicka
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Even my #retrocomputing collection doesn't include Centronics cables anymore. Any recommendations for parallel port adapters?
@th
Just use a scsi cable and cut off the extra. -
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