INEXPENSIVE PLOTTER

[mark hilliard]

This posting is in reference to my earlier posting on the Facit plotter and
ATT 7300 computers availiable through Horizion Sales in Boston.  For those of
you who have been interested in plotters, but like me have never been able to
rationalize $1000 for one, you ship has arrived. The Facit plotter is available
for ~ $250 and from what I have seen it is well worth it.

The Facit 4550 plotter SEEMS like a good buy. I have had it for 2 weeks
and have no complaints with it other than pen availability.  So far, the 
only place that I have been able to find pens has been the factory. The
plotter has a pen cassete which holds 6 pens and is VERY EASY to change. 
There are 3 type of pens available, ball point, ceramic (for high quality
plots) and an oil based felt tip (for transparincies). There are 2 storage
compartments on the plotter for holding extra cassettes. The pens and 
cassettes are NOT compatable with ANY OTHER plotter on the market.

The software will allow selection of 12 colors (hence the 2 cassettes). It 
is a fast plotter (slightly slower than a HP 7470).  The control panel is much
nicer than HP's and very easy to operate. The Facit plots in the same manner
as the HP's (by moving the paper and the pens back and forth). The Facit is 
every bit as noisy as the HP7470.  Plot comparison between the Facit
and a HP7470 shows that there is very little difference in plots, though the
HP has better specifications. The biggest difference between the Facit and
HP is COST!  At $250, the Facit cannot even be compared to HP's $900.

The Facit runs any software that a HP7470 (2 pen plotter) or a HP7475 ( a 
6 pen plotter) can run.  I have tried it with both drivers on the 7300 
while using the Sound Presentations graphics package. Hookup was easy, just
plug in the RS-232 cable and turn the unit on ( the Facit comes with a 
centronics port also)!

I highly recommend the Facit plotter as a output device for a personal
workstation.  If you plan on running plots 24 hours a day, I would go
for a HP.




-- 
                                       Mark Hilliard

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