Newbie-type Q: a way to use a USB 2.0 printer with a USB 1.0 Mac?

[Thomas Veil]

My printer died, and I'm looking at some new models, but they use USB 2.0 connections.

My Mac is a G3 iMac...USB 1.0 and Firewire 400 only.

Is there a way to adapt my Mac to newer printers? I hate to think I'll have to get a new computer just to get a new printer!

Thanks. :)

[Laser47]

USB 2.0 devices are backwards compatible with USB 1 so most likely it will work, just not as fast as 2.0 though.

[whocares]

USB 2.0 peripherals should be backward compatible with USB 1.1.

I stress should because you never know. ;)

[Thomas Veil]

Fastest Answers in the West!

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[mjstew33]

Almost always devices that are USB 2 are almost always USB 1.1 compatible. I know this as my USB 2 printer works great with my iMac G3 and my iBook G3 Clamshell.

What's the printer you are using and maybe we could tell you for sure?

[jtown]

Not only will it work fine on USB1, you're not going to notice a difference in speed. The bottleneck there is the speed of the print heads. Heck, even laser a laser printer would have to be some ungodly fast 100ppm beast to potentially outrun USB1. Putting USB2 in a printer is just a marketing ploy. :)