Girlfriend has ancient Mac connected to an ancient Apple Laserwriter+
via what appears to be a serial cable with small round 9 pin
connectors, as I recall. Her new iMac has no such serial port. Where
could I find a product under $25 that would connect her Laserwriter+
to her new iMac's USB port in a way that is plug/play transparent?
(I'm not a Mac person.)

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Request for Question Clarification by leep-ga on 27 Aug 2003 13:54 PDT

Which specific Laserwriter is she using?  Depending on the type, she
may have several options.

For starters, here's a good list to check:
http://macrules.com/users/DMS/print.htm

I use an older HP laser printer that I have hooked up to an iMac via
the localtalk<->ethernet adapter.  This is probably what you will
need.  However, the adapter usually costs more than $25.   Click on
the following link to view some open eBay auctions for such an
adapter:
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&ht=1&query=localtalk+ethernet

Buying the adapter new is about $80:
http://www.asante.com/products/adapters/asantetalk/index.html

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Clarification of Question by chrissfbay-ga on 27 Aug 2003 18:07 PDT

It is a Laserwriter Plus. You've provided enough information and
resources to answer my question. I noticed the Keyspan USB twin serial
adaptor which has the RS-422 mini-DINS ports might also work, were it
not for the $75 price. I will tell girlfriend to buy a new printer
since they're really cheap nowadays, and sell the old Mac and printer
together.

Thanks for your assistance! This has been a wonderful test of this
service.

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Clarification of Question by chrissfbay-ga on 28 Aug 2003 14:45 PDT

Hi leep-ga, please summarize your clarification as an answer as I want
you to get paid :)
Thanks, Chris

Greetings again chrissfbay!

Thank you for letting me post my comments as an answer.

There may be several options for connecting a laserwriter to an iMac. 
A good quick reference is the "iMac and Printer Compatability Chart"
http://macrules.com/users/DMS/print.htm 
 
I use an older HP laser printer that I have hooked up to an iMac via
the localtalk<->ethernet adapter.  (I actually have it plugged into an
ethernet hub instead of the iMac ethernet port). This is probably what
you will need if you decide to keep the printer.  However, the adapter
usually costs more than $25.   Click on the following link to view
some open eBay auctions for such an adapter:
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&ht=1&query=localtalk+ethernet

Buying such an adapter new is about $80: 
http://www.asante.com/products/adapters/asantetalk/index.html

As you stated, using a serial adapter, such as the Keyspan USB twin
serial adapter, may also be a solution.  I actually have one of these
as well (for some older serial devices I still wanted to use).  As you
indicated, these unfortunately run about $75 so getting a new printer
may just be a better option.

Also, as a quick aside, I did want to mention that laser printers are
still pretty useful.  I've had my HP 5MP now for about 8 years and
it's held up well.  Additionally, I've only had to replace the toner
once.  If I had a cheaper inkjet I'd probably be spending lots of ink
cartridges (but on the other hand I'd have color printing).   A decent
and recent article worth reading:
"Why Do Ink Cartridges Cost So Much?":
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1093&e=11&u=/pcworld/112199

I hope this information is helpful.  If you would like for me to
clarify any part of my answer or further research your question,
please let me know before issuing a rating.  Thanks!


leep-ga


some search strategies used:
personal knowledge of macs

Thanks for providing a wealth of resources to help me evaluate the tradeoffs.