Laser Writer Select 300 with G4

External Since: Sep 03, 2003 Posts: 5

All,

I've read the group postings but still can't figure out if I can make my
Laser Writer Select 300 work with my new G4. I've read about Asante
Box, SerialPrintEnabler, Gimp-print, and USB to Serial cords. I'm just
to computer stupid to figure it out. Can a non-computer person set up
the Laser Writer to work with the G4? What about print drivers? What
kind of connection can be made/ Maybe it's not worth it, but the
printer is a great printer and I have a new toner for it. It seems like
a waste to just get rit of it and get a new one. Any help or ideas?

Thank you

Richard

External Since: Aug 19, 2003 Posts: 15

Richard Blakeslee wrote:
> All,
>
> I've read the group postings but still can't figure out if I can make my
> Laser Writer Select 300 work with my new G4. I've read about Asante
> Box, SerialPrintEnabler, Gimp-print, and USB to Serial cords. I'm just
> to computer stupid to figure it out. Can a non-computer person set up
> the Laser Writer to work with the G4? What about print drivers? What
> kind of connection can be made/ Maybe it's not worth it, but the
> printer is a great printer and I have a new toner for it. It seems like
> a waste to just get rit of it and get a new one. Any help or ideas?
>
> Thank you
>
> Richard
>

The Select 300 is a QuickDraw printer. Its driver (under OS 9 and
earlier) renders QuickDraw-based descriptions of documents into bitmaps
and enqueues those bitmaps (properly encapsulated) for transmission to
the printer. I have a low-mileage Personal LW LS at home which uses the
save driver.

Apple has chosen not to write an OS X driver for these printers,
presumably because of the cost of maintaining a QuickDraw infrastructure
just for the driver. A third-party could write a driver (not
necessarily QuickDraw based), if they could get the necessary
documentation on the driver-printer protocol. There is not a lot of
financial incentive (just us orphans out here!), so it would need to be
a labor of love. And I guess those who love to develop such things wore
out their QuickDraw printers long ago.

But if you do find a way to use your Select 300, please post the
information here. The rest of the orphans will want to know how.

John