Hello, MSX-lovers everywhere !
I am trying to be able to print BASIC listings from my Canon V-20 and I considered these ways :
1) a specific MSX printer ? They are hard to find, as is ink for them => let's try something else !
2) an old parrallel-port PC printer (losing the ability to print "special" MSX character but just fine for ASCII characters) ?
I tried with a HP DeskJet printer + a 14-pins to 36-pins parrallel cable.
But it failed because the most recent ink cartridges made for it, that I bought still new (with an "install before 2010" mention on the package) didn't work anymore upon installation (with a front part of them litterally crumbling when removing the sticky ribbon covering it) => let's try something else !
3) I found a few models of modern printers with serial or parrallel port in addition to their USB port, but all of them are too expensive for me (prices such as 500 $, while I aim for 50 !) => let's try something else !
4) my best hope seems to be to find a way to plug into my MSX a modern, basic, cheap USB printer.
But there exist no converter from 14-pins parrallel to USB, and the basic EPSON XP-215 printer I intend to give a try with has a "type B" USB port.
I am not sure whether I can chain my "14-pins to 36-pins parrallel cable" to a "36-pins parrallel to type A USB cable", and then to a "type A to type B USB converter", which would be rather cumbersome, and maybe expensive.
Moreover, I have read that printers without any built-in "emulation" (such as PostScript or PCL ; and it seems that the EPSON printer I mentioned has none of them) are what is called "GDI printers", unable to print by themselves if not backed by Windows (or specific drivers ...).
So, without resorting to a modern computer or an emulator, in a real MSX-only setup in our modern era, how do you guys print without it being incredibly complex or very expensive ?
If any "best practice" in the MSX community exists (I looked for it, but without any success), I would be glad to learn it !