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  1. #1
    Silent Key Member 5-25-2015 W1GUH's Avatar
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    Current rant about the computer biz....

    It's how companies seem to flip off customers who upgrade.

    Specifically, I've got a Microtek 6800 Scanmaker scanner. It's a wonderful scanner, and especially so because it can do medium format (6x6, 6x7, 120 film) transparency or negative scanning.

    But those @#$$^$@# jerks! They list no f'ing driver for Vista on their website!!!



    I emailed them from their support page and fully expect a reply to the effect of,

    "There is no driver available." But, I'll be patient -- maybe there IS one, or at least they plan on releasing one. But grrrrr......

    (Not all is lost, I can use my old computer for scanning.)

    At least HP had a substitute driver for my printer, so they're a little bit on the ball.

    RANTRANTRANT!!!!
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    Orca Whisperer n2ize's Avatar
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    Try using Linux and see how disheartening it is to see a nice piece of hardware out there that can do exactly what you want the way you want it and then discover that there is no Linux drivers available. Fortunately this is not as much of a problem as it used to be. Many companies are now supporting Linux and there are lots of third party drivers out there as well. But Vista ? It's strange that they wouldn't support Vista. Usually Microsoft is the first and formost system they support. Strange indeed.
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  3. #3
    Silent Key Member 5-25-2015 W1GUH's Avatar
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    Uh-huh.



    But you've given me an idea, I didn't think to check for a Linux driver. I'm off to do that right now. Thanks, John!
    If it's a war on drugs, then free the POW's.

  4. #4
    Forum Addict w3bny's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by n2ize View Post
    Try using Linux and see how disheartening it is to see a nice piece of hardware out there that can do exactly what you want the way you want it and then discover that there is no Linux drivers available. Fortunately this is not as much of a problem as it used to be. Many companies are now supporting Linux and there are lots of third party drivers out there as well. But Vista ? It's strange that they wouldn't support Vista. Usually Microsoft is the first and formost system they support. Strange indeed.
    Oh...So Linux/Unix is all dat till you need a driver? Hmm... So its teh bomb unless you need something like...i dunno...a peripheral then you are S.O.L. or code your own driver. Which obviously the average home user does for $hits and giggles.

    <insert gratuitous PEH sound here>
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    Orca Whisperer
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    Quote Originally Posted by w3bny View Post
    Oh...So Linux/Unix is all dat till you need a driver? Hmm... So its teh bomb unless you need something like...i dunno...a peripheral then you are S.O.L. or code your own driver. Which obviously the average home user does for $hits and giggles.

    <insert gratuitous PEH sound here>
    Thats only for ass-backwards companies who re-invent everything. In the past 4 years or so, I'm hard pressed to NOT be able to find a hardware driver. Then again, I'm not using "teh latest and greatest" in hardware, either.

    Just like your common computer user :)
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  6. #6
    Orca Whisperer n2ize's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by w3bny View Post
    Oh...So Linux/Unix is all dat till you need a driver? Hmm... So its teh bomb unless you need something like...i dunno...a peripheral then you are S.O.L. or code your own driver. Which obviously the average home user does for $hits and giggles.

    <insert gratuitous PEH sound here>
    But at the same time its rarely a problem. I've been using Linux since 1994 and even back then, when it was virtually unheard of except for us extreme geeks, I never had a problem finding some kind of driver to run whatever I wanted. If it was not created and issued by the company who makes the hardware then it was created and issued by a third party ranging from a company sanctioned to write the driver based on spec given by the manufacturer, to dfrivers written by individuals who reversed engineered and hacked one together.

    Matter of fact I often have LESS trouble getting my hardware to work on Linux,. Most of the time the hardware is immediately recognized and appropriate drivers and firmware is installed on the fly and the hardware just works. Contrast that with Windows where the hardware often won;t work until I hunt for a legitimate site that has a driver available,

    The few instances where there are problems can be disheartening. But its usually the kind of disheartening feeling that comes from wondering why a company can be so backwards and archaic that they won't supply drivers for Linux, Mac, etc. But, In general I'd say it's non-issue.
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  7. #7
    Coconut King w6tmi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by n2ize View Post
    But at the same time its rarely a problem. I've been using Linux since 1994 and even back then, when it was virtually unheard of except for us extreme geeks, I never had a problem finding some kind of driver to run whatever I wanted. If it was not created and issued by the company who makes the hardware then it was created and issued by a third party ranging from a company sanctioned to write the driver based on spec given by the manufacturer, to dfrivers written by individuals who reversed engineered and hacked one together.

    Matter of fact I often have LESS trouble getting my hardware to work on Linux,. Most of the time the hardware is immediately recognized and appropriate drivers and firmware is installed on the fly and the hardware just works. Contrast that with Windows where the hardware often won;t work until I hunt for a legitimate site that has a driver available,

    The few instances where there are problems can be disheartening. But its usually the kind of disheartening feeling that comes from wondering why a company can be so backwards and archaic that they won't supply drivers for Linux, Mac, etc. But, In general I'd say it's non-issue.
    As an often user of slightly unusual hardware (typically video processing stuff) Linux has been piss poor for drivers for that sort of stuff. Starting to get better.

    But for building a server... Sure is nice to have networking and storage devicery operational out of the box, up to and including multi pathing storage systems.
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  8. #8
    Silent Key Member 5-25-2015 W1GUH's Avatar
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    From Hamrick Software:

    You can use this scanner on Mac OS X and Linux without installing any other software.
    http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/micro...aker_6800.html

    Can't wait to check this out when I get home...but if that guy knows what he's talking about, I'm home free on this.

    Thanks again, John, for the reminder.
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  9. #9
    "Island Bartender" KG4CGC's Avatar
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    ass-backwards companies who re-invent everything
    That's Sony! Evil evil Sony ...

  10. #10
    Silent Key Member 5-25-2015 W1GUH's Avatar
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    Well, no dice on linux and the Microtek. Guess what hamrick meant was if I bought their software it'd work. Well, maybe, but I'm not about to pay for a driver unless absolutely necessary. Besides, hamrick didn't make any distinctions between the various flavors of linux or Macs, and I didn't have the stomach last night to toil through the free trial download and install, only to find out (well, not sure about this, but....) that it wouldn't work either. Looks like the old machine's gonna be my scanning engine!
    If it's a war on drugs, then free the POW's.

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