[P1] Networking a printer

[Brian Olesky]

Since I started this, I may as well end it. At least you'll get a good laugh
at my expense.

Originally I just wanted to know how I could use one computer on my wireless
network to access the printer connected to the other. Several of you posted
the simple solution--turn on print sharing in the one with the printer.

But of course, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I knew it couldn't be that
simple. The world doesn't work that way. So I immediately set out to make an
easy task impossibly complicated (as you already know if you followed the
thread). I created more havoc in both computers, sent more files to strange
printer icons in strange places, steadily making things worse and worse,
until after about 3 hours, I couldn't print from either machine. In the main
machine with the printer attached I somehow managed to completely trash the
Print Center, to the point where it wasn't even there anymore, and on the
remote machine, I had a line of print jobs stacked up in the Print Center,
trying to print to all kinds of bogus printers, and stuck in an endless
loop, with no way to delete them. I finally shut both machines down,
apologized to my wife for all the cursing and desk pounding, and gave up for
the night.

This morning I called AppleCare, and found out I had screwed things up so
badly the only solution was to download and completely reinstall 10.2.8 on
the main machine, which also somehow fixed the remote.

So when everything was back up on the main machine, I decided to try the
original advice. I turned on Print Sharing in the main machine, went
upstairs to the other, sent the print commands thru exactly like I do on the
other...and that was it. I had networked a printer? In all of about 2
minutes. 

I know ease of use is the Mac motto, but is it possible something can be so
easy, the brain just doesn't accept it?

Or to put it another way, I guess I know what PC people go through now.

Brian