Parallel Port on a newer PC ???

FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

I bought a parallel port to usb cable so I could use my HP5P. Works great!

"RnR" wrote in message ...
FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

RnR wrote in message ...
FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

Probably about as cheap to replace the printer. I bought an excellent
Samsung laser for $69 brand-new after rebate. Included a full toner cart.

Your other choice is to find a JetDirect Ethernet card for the LJ4 and plug it
into your network. The card is an MIO card. They are cheap and easy to find
these days. Much faster than parallel port and the printer operates
independently of all computers, so anyone can use it without a specific computer
being powered on.

Been using networked LaserJets for a few years now, first an LJ4, now and LJ5M
with PostScript and the maximum 50MB of memory. Cheap and reliable printing.

.... Ben Myers

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:03:36 -0600, RnR wrote:

FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

There are USB to parallel cables also, and they don't take up a slot.
They have a Centronics connector on one end and a USB plug on the other end.


RnR wrote:
FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

There actually are some real advantages to the older "full feature"
laser printers. The new ones (the cheap ones) do all of their
processing in the PC using the PCs processor. The machines like the one
that the OP talked about (a Laserjet 4 ... I have one also) had their
own processors and memory (I have 22 megabytes in mine), and they will
do things that the new printers won't/can't, especially if you run any
legacy (DOS) programs.


Tom Scales wrote:
RnR wrote in message ...
FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

Probably about as cheap to replace the printer. I bought an excellent
Samsung laser for $69 brand-new after rebate. Included a full toner cart.

Barry Watzman wrote:
There actually are some real advantages to the older "full feature"
laser printers. The new ones (the cheap ones) do all of their
processing in the PC using the PCs processor. The machines like the one
that the OP talked about (a Laserjet 4 ... I have one also) had their
own processors and memory (I have 22 megabytes in mine), and they will
do things that the new printers won't/can't, especially if you run any
legacy (DOS) programs.

snip

My LaserJet 6P is *still* my workhorse.

--
Notan

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:19:29 -0500, Barry Watzman
wrote:

There are USB to parallel cables also, and they don't take up a slot.
They have a Centronics connector on one end and a USB plug on the other end.



Yeah, I just found this out tonite but too late as I just ordered the
pci card but I'm okay with that. Barry, is the Centronics connector
the connection for the laserjet 4 ? If you don't know, I'll check
around. I might order a usb to parallel cable anyway.

thanks.

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:11:43 -0500, Ben Myers
wrote:

Your other choice is to find a JetDirect Ethernet card for the LJ4 and plug it
into your network. The card is an MIO card. They are cheap and easy to find
these days. Much faster than parallel port and the printer operates
independently of all computers, so anyone can use it without a specific computer
being powered on.

Been using networked LaserJets for a few years now, first an LJ4, now and LJ5M
with PostScript and the maximum 50MB of memory. Cheap and reliable printing.

... Ben Myers


Thanks Ben but I'm using it on a wireless network. I'd really like a
wireless print server but it seems like most are part of a wireless
router and my present router does not have it. And what few wireless
print servers I found are as expensive as the wireless routers. Does
this sound right?

On Wed, 31 Jan 2007 21:10:05 -0500, "Tom Scales"
wrote:


RnR wrote in message ...
FWIW, I didn't know that parallel ports are being phased out so much
so that now the pc's don't have one but the problem is I still have my
'ol hp laserjet 4 that works as good as when it was new.

What I didn't know, which will solve my problem, is that they make a
parallel pci card which takes up one pci slot but has a parallel port
on the back end to use like before for the older printers. Probably
not many like me with this problem but just in case, this post might
help.

Probably about as cheap to replace the printer. I bought an excellent
Samsung laser for $69 brand-new after rebate. Included a full toner cart.



No, I definitely don't want to get rid of it. Works great and prints
real nice. Actually I already have 3 other inkjet printers on my home
network so I could eliminate this laserjet but it's the most reliable
of any printer I ever had. The only way I'll junk it is when a major
part inside fails that costs an arm and a leg.