Most compatible parallel printer that can still be used today for old devices?
Posted by fttklr@reddit | retrobattlestations | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Looking for something that is not a relic of the past for which there are no more cartridges available... Ideally a thermal printer would be great but an A4 thermal printer is a rarity on its own :D
I have a couple of old Lenovo laptop that use W98 and XP; a Tandy 100 and a couple of old pc running CPM and Dos5/6. I am looking for something that I can hook up to the parallel printer port of each machine and just print, so it should be as compatible as possible with whatever was most common at each point in time for these machines.
For XP and 98 maytbe I can use CUPS as these machines have a network interface, but anything else just use a parallel port so do not have much alternatives sadly.
Longjumping_Push2223@reddit
I have a HP and Dell laser printer. The toner is still easy to find
Both are pareller port
soulpotato@reddit
What are the models?
sclements12345@reddit
I have a modern HP laserjet that supports postscript hanging off of a windows 2003 server (VM) running SFM. Laserjet 8 driver sees it on the print server and I’ve successfully printed from System 7 machines on it.
Soylent_Caffeine@reddit
I would vote LaserJet 4/4+
fttklr@reddit (OP)
Not sure it would work with pre-NT hardware
pinko_zinko@reddit
99% sure I remember just duping line printer output to them, no problem.
Soylent_Caffeine@reddit
I think it at least has DOS drivers. The LaserJet 4 was released in 1993 I believe.
fttklr@reddit (OP)
Thanks, will take a look at it
RetroTechChris@reddit
If you do LaserJet 4/4+, no need for parallel port sharing if you have network! Just throw a JetDirect card in there. I have procedures for printing to JetDirect printers in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and Win9x. Should work just fine in NT as well.
miniscant@reddit
There are also external versions of HP JetDirect with three parallel printer ports.
BidSmall186@reddit
It’s PCL any generic PCL printer driver would work.
compu85@reddit
Something with postscript :)
gcc-O2@reddit
Last parallel port printer I personally had was an OKI B4250, and it had PCL emulation for OSes too old for drivers for it.
Yet, that's now 20 years ago that I got it. Sigh
Krinkleneck@reddit
Oki Microline 320 Dot Matrix. Has parallel port, and is still being manufactured.
RetroTechChris@reddit
Until very recently sadly :(
thaeli@reddit
End of an era. At least Epson is still making the LX-350.