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                                    invoices
                                        
I finally got around to printing an invoice for Atlantic Internet. [1] It's a
rather involved process printing out an invoice, but it's not the software
that's the problem.

It's the hardware. Or rather, the lack of space for said hardware.

I use an old MS-DOS box for printing of invoices. Nothing difficult, just
copy over a template file (which is nothing more than a text file), fill in
the columns using a text editor, save then print to a dot matrix printer. The
problem is I have no space left for the system so it's been sitting in my
bedroom on the floor, waiting for the time I get around to putting it
somewhere.

But I needed to print this invoice and the Computer Room is full. Well, not
as full as it was, but now that it's orgranized I'd like to keep it that way.

I could hook the printer up to the Linux box, but Unix and peripherals don't
mix. Or rather, don't mix well. I don't have an exotic printer. It's dot-
matrix. Schlep ASCII out the parallel port and it'll print. But Unix weenies
have to make something simple overly complex with half a dozen configuration
files (none of which are similar, and don't even get me started on adding a
modem to Unix).

Well, that and I never bothered to install the printer subsystem on Linux
since I don't use the printer all that often. Last time I dug it out it was
early February (when it and the MS-DOS computer were in the Computer Room).

So I quickly set up the computer in the bedroom, printed out the one page I
needed, and broke everything down again.

Now I just need to submit the invoice.

[1] http://www.aibusiness.net/

Email Sean Conner at sean@conman.org

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