Windows-7 Drivers

[db4jazz]

Is a driver update for Windows-7 Available yet, I have been unable to get the driver for Vista to work and changing the compatibility in program properties is no help.

Regards,
Doug

[db4jazz]

To whom it may concern,
I still would like to know when drivers for Windiws 7 will be available, I am unable to use my laser engraver that I just finished converting to use the LightObject controller the only system that have that will talk to the laser is an old retired laptop that still has XP. This is of no use to me other than to verify communications and drive movement via the included laser control software. The only computer that has Autocad and Corel is my work station and that computer is running Windows 7 and will not communicate with the LightObject controller because the drivers have not been updated. If a driver solution for Windows 7 is not available very soon then I will have no choice and will be forced to remove the LightObjec controller and look for another controller and software solution, I feel that having to do so is a bit extreme on my part and that a better solution is for your company to provide up to date drivers. If however if you have no intention to update the drivers then you should have a WARNING in the part description stating that this part is obsolete and useless because Microsoft is discontinuing support for Windows XP and we are not going to update to Windows 7, PURCHASE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
PLEASE RESPOND ASAP.

[Tech_Marco]

Currently we are working on the driver Window 7 but we haven't have a time line when it could be launced yet.

From my personal point, you shouldn't jump to the #7 wagon without the driver ready or without SP1 released from Microsoft. Question is: how often do you need support from Microsft on XP?? To me, I remembered I called them once in my life. The service update for XP so far so good and SP3 is very stable. So, I don't understand why you could running the risk of having your business down by switching to the 'unkown' zone while the current XP is working fine.

Suggestion: switch back to XP and wait for the driver. XP will be still damn good for next couple year for a lot of applications

[db4jazz]

The system came with Windows 7 loaded as the standard OS as is the case with many workstations and in some cases XP is not even offered. Where I took the risk of my business being down was when I installed your controller believing that it was a supported and ready product. I thought that I had researched enough to know if the controller would do the job I required and it looked perfect for the job, it would process jobs directly from AutoCAD and CorelDraw and output just like a plotter, exactly as I needed with one minor problem it won’t work in my OS. I wish that I would have had information along with the rest of the Facts, Features, and Specifications. That is the only problem I have with the product, well that and the lack of information in the documentation. The docs need more detailed information covering the I/O pins and more in-depth wiring diagrams detailing all of the inputs and outputs of the controller. I do believe the controller is an expellant product but it has got to work in Windows 7 as well as XP and until it does you need inform people of that fact or you are going to have a lot more angry customers. And as for just switching back to XP that is not an option, I can’t just switch back to XP until you get the time to provide drivers for 7. My computer doesn’t have an “XP” switch and you can’t just install back to XP it doesn’t work like that.

Better Suggestion: get the drivers for windows 7 working and released, more detailed information covering the I/O pins and more in-depth wiring diagrams detailing all of the inputs and outputs of the controller, and last add into the product sales page it will only support Windows XP at this time.

Please get the drivers done ASAP, and sorry for any misunderstandings and I hope that you will take the suggestions to heart they are meant as constrictive criticism.

Regards,
Doug

[Tech_Marco]

First of all, as I mentioned, we're working on the driver for Windows 7. But you got to understand that Microsoft is a giant and we're just a small 'bean', we don't have such great man power, or capitcal to do support for everything instantly. Everything take time. There are bunch hardware outside didn't support Windows 7 as Win7 just launched in a few months! Also, everytime Micosoft launched a new OS, there are always thousands bugs that need to be fixed. So, without seeing service pack 1 (at least), you (business) dont' want to jump into that. That's why there are so many business were using Window NT when XP always pouplar for a year or two. Business is a business, it's $$$ and you don't want to mess around with it. As I said, XP is great!

We're open and we take suggestion. We always want to make better products/manual. But we need feeback, something can point us to area where it need to be improved. Instead of just saying the manual isn't clear on this and that, please tell us exactly which part isn't clear or which part is missing. To the enginner side, they may though that the manual is prefect and no need to rewrite. But to a customer, it's not the true. Some folks have no problem to set it up in just a few hour and have production running (customers from Spain, Brazil, Russia, Italy....).

FYI, a customer name Tim posted a nice support document written on his own. Did you look at that? Plus, he is willing to help if you have a question setting up the DSP

[lasersafe1]

I am one of Marco's first clients for this DSP. I know that this answer isn't very helpful, but sometimes you just need to take what you can get, and I'm somehow doubtful that you will find any other manufacturer of a similar controller that provides W7 support.

I'm sure the team is working on a new driver, but from the user standpoint, the investment in my machinery is much much greater than the cost of a PC. You can buy a decent PC for $50 that will run your engraver that you probably have over $1000 investment in. I use one of these cheap PC's in my workshop to run both the engraver with DSP and a mill that runs on Mach3. I would never even consider upgrading that PC to a higher version of Windows because everything runs great just as it stands.

I have a similar issue with an earlier version of a CAD program that I own. The software is worth about $4000, so I dedicate a whole stand-alone pc to this software because it won't run on a newer OS.

[Tech_Marco]

Update:

My guys said, it's ok to operate the DSP in Windows 7, as long as Win7 is 32 bit version. Two different laser softwares were tested and all working fine. But they said that it would NOT work under 64bit Windows 7.