Computer for new Epilog Mini 24-40?

[roger wiegand]

The museum where I volunteer is acquiring a new Epilog Mini 24-40, which is supposed to arrive next week. Among the volunteers my experience comes closest to having any relation to cutting and engraving (eg I work with wood and sometimes plastic), so it looks as though I'm going to become its "mother". Perhaps for better, the museum will still be closed for the foreseeable future, so I'll have as much one-on-one time with it as I need to figure it out. I expect to be here frequently with questions, as I've never used anything like it before. I'm looking forward to it!

First question, anything I need to know about a computer to drive it? The director wants to repurpose a 10 year old machine to run it, any likely problems with that? The specs say it works with Win XP through 10; is one of those better than another? I assume we'd just as soon avoid abandoned software like XP. (I'm a Mac/UNIX guy and worked with XP and Win 7 when forced, I have 8 running on VMWare on my laptop for the odd program that needs Windows, I've used 10 enough to know I don't "get" the interface at all-- I was able to make prior versions look like Win95 which I got along fine with, but haven't found out how to do that with 10.)

Perhaps related, the specs say the laser can be driven either via USB or Ethernet. Any reason to choose one over the other? For most things I have had better luck with Ethernet, is that going to be true for this unit?

I'm told that Illustrator will generate the required graphic files. That's easy as I've used it a lot, albeit on the Mac. Is it true?

Thanks! (and TIA for your patience)

[Kev Williams]

I have one Win10 computer in this place, an HP laptop, and it's ridiculously slow. And what fun it is when you have 15 Corel windows open, none of them saved and MS decides to kill your computer to install updates with about 5 seconds of warning. The ONLY time I use the piece'O'crap is for TurboTax.

IF the computer doesn't need to be on the internet, and it shouldn't have to be just to run a machine, an XP will work fine, but a win7 is far and away better when it comes to file management and searching. A 64bit machine and lots of memory would be good, mostly for the programs you'll be using, but 32 is okay. I have a 32bit XP E-machine running the same programs as my Dell Precision T5400 'killer' win7 64bit/8 core/32gigs ram machine, and the XP runs circles around it-- likely because it's "proprietary", not on the net and not running any AV or any other resource hog programs in the background...

If you need something off the 'net for the machine computer, download it from another computer to a flash drive.

I've never had an ethernet-capable machine, but ANYthing different than USB would be a plus. I can't count how many USB issues I've had...

[Bill George]

On my Windows 10 computers, (which I said I would never have), I can delay or turn off updates for a time and I turn off the wireless on the one in the shop that will run everything. Everything as CNC Router, 3D printer and Laser machine, not at the same time of course! All have purchased Windows 10 loads and one or two have the Pro version.

[Kev Williams]

I have to ask, Bill, why not 'all at the same time'? And what are Windows 10 'loads'? (I could google it but what fun is that?)

[Lee DeRaud]

I'm told that Illustrator will generate the required graphic files. That's easy as I've used it a lot, albeit on the Mac. Is it true?

True, but running a 2020 version of Illustrator on a 10-tear-old XP machine sounds pretty sketchy, no pun intended.

Be that as it may, I'd question the sanity of someone who has the budget for a new laser, but can't/won't come up with a couple hundred bucks for a non-Jurassic computer.

[roger wiegand]

True, but running a 2020 version of Illustrator on a 10-tear-old XP machine sounds pretty sketchy, no pun intended.

Be that as it may, I'd question the sanity of someone who has the budget for a new laser, but can't/won't come up with a couple hundred bucks for a non-Jurassic computer.

That was pretty much what I was thinking, but I was hoping for some data to use to make the argument. But also, a new machine will probably come with WIN 10 and I wanted to be sure that wasn't also a mistake.

[Curt Harms]

I've used 10 enough to know I don't "get" the interface at all-- I was able to make prior versions look like Win95 which I got along fine with, but haven't found out how to do that with 10.)

Perhaps related, the specs say the laser can be driven either via USB or Ethernet. Any reason to choose one over the other? For most things I have had better luck with Ethernet, is that going to be true for this unit?

I'm told that Illustrator will generate the required graphic files. That's easy as I've used it a lot, albeit on the Mac. Is it true?

Thanks! (and TIA for your patience)

You can (or used to) get add-ons that give a more conventional Windows desktop. I seldom use Windows and even then for single simple tasks not involving anything Adobe. You can download Windows installer files directly from Microsoft if you want to install Windows 10 on the old machine to see how it runs. If it was a high end machine 10 years ago it might work, dunno. If you had to pay for a retail Windows license you're already 1/3 of the way to a new PC that includes Windows so there's that.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...d/windows10%20

Or this if you just want to download an .iso

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...d/windows10ISO

[Lee DeRaud]

That was pretty much what I was thinking, but I was hoping for some data to use to make the argument. But also, a new machine will probably come with WIN 10 and I wanted to be sure that wasn't also a mistake.

A "mistake" as opposed to what? At least it's still supported and has some chance of remaining so for the foreseeable future. If it was 2015 and Win10 was bright-shiny-new, I'd probably suggest Win7, but Win10 been out for five years now.

And yes, I realize there are a few people here who need 7 or XP to handle obscure legacy hardware/software. But that ain't you.

[EDIT] An additional argument that may sway your boss: you might be the only person dealing with this setup now, but that won't always be true. Set it up for the other people that will be using it after the museum reopens.

[roger wiegand]

A "mistake" as opposed to what? At least it's still supported and has some chance of remaining so for the foreseeable future. If it was 2015 and Win10 was bright-shiny-new, I'd probably suggest Win7, but Win10 been out for five years now.

my leeriness comes from many years of working with computer controlled lab equipment that was quite intolerant of operating system changes and manufacturers for whom a 5 year old OS would still be considered early beta. Too much experience of bricking a $400K piece of equipment by installing some "minor" driver or security update that took hours or days to reverse.

[Lee DeRaud]

my leeriness comes from many years of working with computer controlled lab equipment that was quite intolerant of operating system changes and manufacturers for whom a 5 year old OS would still be considered early beta. Too much experience of bricking a $400K piece of equipment by installing some "minor" driver or security update that took hours or days to reverse.

I'm somehow reminded of a friend who still won't buy a car with a turbocharged engine because he had a '65 Corvair turbo that blew up on him in college fifty years ago.

Believe whatever you want to believe.

[roger wiegand]

What I believe is irrelevant. What matters is what the guys writing the software for the manufacturer are willing or able to support, as observed in real world environments. Hence asking the question of folks who actually use the machines whether there are OS versions that are better or more poorly supported, as observed by performance of the machine.

My observation is that many manufacturers of specialty equipment run by a dedicated computer have little incentive to keep their software updated to run with the latest and greatest OS versions. Likewise they have almost no incentive to support software that preceded whatever version they used when they wrote the code in the first place. I don't know where these cutters fall in that spectrum and how fussy they are with regard to precise software versions of the OS, hence my question.

FWIW, I've run into such an issue within the last two years with a pipetting robot right before I retired, so we're not talking exactly ancient history here.