Re: LaserJet 4L to IIGS

[markt@teleport.com (Mark Trullinger)]

Karen Jen Hu (kjh52156@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu) wrote:
: In <3aok9g$6j2@onyx.southwind.net> jherder@onyx.southwind.net (Jay Herder) writes:

: >I recently purchased a Pentium to 'augment' my IIGS. I also got an HP  
: >LaserJet 4L laser printer. I have connected my modem to both machines 
: >with an A/B switch and it works fine. But, trying the same trick with the 
: >printer does not.

: >What software/hardware will I need to hook up this LaserJet 4L to my IIGS
: >and be able to print from Appleworks 3.x, EGOed, etc.? Thank you for your
: >time. 

: Now, if memory servers me correct (probably doesn't), the 4L comes standard
: with a parallel interface, right? Ok, sounds like all you'll need is a
: switch box (I think one with 3 36 pin centronics ports will be easiest here)
: a parallel interface for the GS...

: GS: run the cable from the parallel interface on the GS to the switchbox,
: Pentium: run a standard IBM parallel printer cable from your pentium to
:          the switchbox.
: SwitchBox: get a 36pin -> 36pin centronics cable (The Shack?) and go from
:            the switchbox to the 4L.  Easy, eh? Of course.


: Now, if you get a switchbox with DB25 ports on it, you will have a hell
: of a time getting a cable to go from the GS end to the switchbox.

: Of course, this is all assuming that the 4L is a parallel printer.

It doesn't really matter if the 4L is parallel or serial, or both, if you 
can't get a driver for it!  And you can't.  The closest available is 
Vitesse's LJ3 driver, and that is not very close.  You'd have to edit it 
quite a bit to really make it useful.  I could be done though.  I have 
been using the LJ3 driver on a LJ4MP for a while, with mixed results.  It 
works MUCH better to simply send the files as PostScript files, but I 
don't know if the LJ4L supports PostScript.

	Even with the above driver, you still can only use the LJ4 with 
GS specific GS/OS programs.  The old 8bit appleworks, in any of it's 
incarnations won't work.  The LJ4 requires a very lenghthy setup string, 
and it seems to want to get repositioning data every once in a while, 
that there is simply no way to send from Appleworks 3.x or any other 8 
bit incarnation that I know of.

-- 
markt@teleport.COM  
The only thing necessary for evil to flourish 
is for good men to do nothing.
		Thomas Jefferson