[X4U] old printer to new os

[Stephen Mackenzie]

On 7 Sep 2006, at 14:33, Da Pen wrote:

> Does anyone know if it is possible to use my old
> Okidata 410e/ps laser printer with OS 10.4.7?  Is
> there a driver program out there that would work?

If the PS in the printer's name means "PostScript" you don't need a  
driver, just the right PPD (printer description) file. And even if  
you don't have the right PPD you can use it as a generic PostScript  
printer.

Provided, that is, you have a way of connecting it to the network!

> Also, how would I go about connecting it?  I use the
> printer port from the back of my old Duo 2300c dock -
> I don't think the printer has appletalk network
> connector.  It also has an PC-style parallel?
> connector.  Are cables available for the conversion?

The printer port is also the old-style LocalTalk connector.

My solution--with an old Apple Personal LaserWriter 320, is to use a  
"spare" beige g3 running Mac OS 9 and a free program called  
"print66", a port of the standard lpr unix printing protocol. The  
printer is connected to the Mac with a standard old-school serial  
cable, and LaserWriter 8, and print66 takes that setup and presents  
it to the network as an lpr printer. Which I can set up on my proper  
Mac in the Print Assistant thingey. The Mac sends the print job to  
Print66 which sends it to the LaserWriter. It's a bit clumsy, but it  
works.

If the Duo has an ethernet connection, perhaps it could be persuaded  
to do something similar. I forget where to get Print 66 but I imagine  
it's fairly easy to Google.

You can get Localtalk--->ethernet bridges but they're usually rather  
expensive. i.e. more than a new personal laser printer...

SM