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Snow Leopard and HP 5MP printer?

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Norm

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Nov 22, 2009, 2:53:38 PM11/22/09
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From what I've read I gather there is no way to get this printer to work
with my now Snow Leopard Mac?

I was using an AsanteTalk bridge connected to our ethernet LAN when I
was on Leopard. That setup worked very well.

Since the HP has years left, I'd like to make sure there is not a viable
option before passing it on.

Thanks for any definitive answer.... good news or bad. ;)

--
Norm

Steven Fisher

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Nov 22, 2009, 3:26:13 PM11/22/09
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In article <fOydncjxzJ5fC5TW...@speakeasy.net>,
Norm <NOS...@gmail.invalid> wrote:

> From what I've read I gather there is no way to get this printer to work
> with my now Snow Leopard Mac?

That has a parallel port, right?

There's *probably* a way to plug it in via a parallel-to-USB adapter,
bypassing AppleTalk altogether. That's probably a third of the cost of a
new printer, though, and at this point a new printers would probably be
a lot more satisfying in day-to-day use.


Steve

David Empson

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Nov 22, 2009, 3:29:09 PM11/22/09
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Norm <NOS...@gmail.invalid> wrote:

> From what I've read I gather there is no way to get this printer to work
> with my now Snow Leopard Mac?

I have an HP LaserJet 6MP, and it is working fine with Snow Leopard. For
all practical purposes, the 6MP is just a slightly faster 5MP.

> I was using an AsanteTalk bridge connected to our ethernet LAN when I
> was on Leopard. That setup worked very well.

That solution won't work any more, because Snow Leopard doesn't support
AppleTalk.

There are two major options:

(a) Use another computer as a print server, e.g. a Mac running an older
version of Mac OS X. The older Mac can use AppleTalk to talk to the
printer, and has Printer Sharing enabled. The Mac running Snow Leopard
can print via that.

(b) Replace the AsanteTalk with a device that acts as a network print
server, such as an appropriate HP JetDirect model (which you may have to
find second-hand). This will plug into the parallel port on the printer,
and you can use the LPR or JetDirect Socket protocol instead of
AppleTalk to communicate with it from Snow Leopard.

I'm using solution (b) - I've had a "JetDirect EX Plus" for almost as
long as I've had the printer, so the only change I had to make with Snow
Leopard was enabling access to the printer via a different network
protocol. It also supports AppleTalk over Ethernet, which I'm still
using with Macs that are running 10.5 or earlier.

I gather the JetDirect EX 300 also works, but I haven't tried it or
other models.

> Since the HP has years left, I'd like to make sure there is not a viable
> option before passing it on.
>
> Thanks for any definitive answer.... good news or bad. ;)

--
David Empson
dem...@actrix.gen.nz

Norm

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Nov 22, 2009, 5:56:02 PM11/22/09
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OP back.

Thanks to both who responded. Very helpful.

--
Norm

Michael T. Davis

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Nov 22, 2009, 7:59:41 PM11/22/09
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Besides what has already been offered, you should know that there are
a fair number of print servers designed to attach to printers via a parallel
port; you don't have to limit yourself to HP. Also, if you have a Windows
machine with a parallel port, you could attach the printer to that and use
"Windows printing" from the Mac as a means to print.

Regards,
Mike
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http://www.ecr6.ohio-state.edu/~davism/ | The Ohio State University
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