Can an old LaserWriter Pro work with an iMac?

[Canuckistan]

Hello,

I am about to replace my G4 desktop computer with an iMac.

Hooked up to the G4, via an Asante Talk box, is my trusty 1993 LaserWriter Pro printer.

Will I be able to get the iMac to communicate with the LaserWriter Pro?

If the answer is "Yes", please tell me if I need to buy something to enable the communication.

If the answer is "No", please recommend a "wireless" printer that will print from both an iMac and a MacBook Pro.

Many thanks.

 

[gsahli]

You didn't quite give us all the required info, so I'll guess you mean you want to try a direct ethernet connection from the iMac to the Asantetalk to the printer. ?
Your ethernet must have a manual IP address set in order for OS X to know you want to use it (like when some other interface like Airport is your primary internet interface). Go to Network prefs, Show Built-in ethernet, TCP/IP tab. Select Configure: manually, and enter this manual IP address 192.168.3.3 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Now go to the appletalk tab and turn on appletalk. Now go to Print & Fax prefs and Add (+) the printer in the Default Browser window.
Note that the Asantetalk is known to be finicky, and sometimes you have to power off the Asantetlk and printer, then back on, then restart the Mac, in order for the printer to be recognized.

Good luck.
Edit --- if you already have it working with a G4, it basically works the same on a new intel Mac and 10.5.5.