Need a printer for a Nec770 laptop operating on Windows CE.

Hi there pcarlin!

It's remarkable how difficult manufacturers make it to determine how
to best use older hardware. I've put in a bit of research on this, and
I think I now have the solution for you.

To get a printer which works on your laptop, you'll need to purchase
two things:

1) A cable which interfaces with the printer. Model number: MC-RC3E.
You may have this cable already, but it did not ship as a typical
accessory so I doubt it.
2) A Hewlett Packard or compatible printer.


#1
--

The cable can be obtained from the following vendors:

http://valueemporium.com/necmcrc3ehig.html
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?edc=150475

You may also be able to purchase it here:

http://www.rulink.com/product_details/detail.asp?prod_id=MC-RC3E

You can verify that this is the cable you need, by visiting NEC's
product upgrade information page at:

http://support.neccomp.com/mobilepro/MobilePro770/mp770upg.ASP

NEC says in their product specification that these cables are only
compatible with the PCL3 standard, something that Hewlett Packard use.

See page 2 of the right hand column:
http://www.neccomp.com/images/PDFs/MobilePro770.pdf


#2
--

Almost all Hewlett Packard printers use PCL3, and thus if you have one
lying around the house, you may already be in luck! However, if you do
not, you can consult the following list of printers and check which
ones support PCL3.

http://www.intelligentinterfaces.com/compatible.html

You can then shop around for a good printer (I've recommended on
below). Once you have the cable and the printer, everything else
should be a breeze. Windows CE comes with a built in PCL3 driver, so
you shouldn't need any special extra software. You can verify that
this is the case, by visiting the link below.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q183802

As for printer choice, you could take a look at the DeskJet 450ci, a
printer specifically designed for mobile printing, and one which
Hewlett Packard provide specific Windows CE drivers for.

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=297223

I hope this has answered your question, and got you on the road to
mobile printing! If anything is unclear, or you need further
explanation, then please feel free to use the "request clarification"
feature before rating this answer.

Thanks, and good luck.

--seizer-ga

Search strategy:
NEC 770 laptop
NEC 770 palmtop specifications
MC-RC3E 
PCL3 compatibility
PCL3 generic Windows CE
Hewlett Packard Windows CE PCL3

---

Clarification of Answer by seizer-ga on 11 Nov 2002 19:17 PST

Thank you for your generous rating and tip! I appreciate your kindness.