Have an older printer/computer? USB 2.0 to Parallel Printer Adapter Cable (97CM) $5.20 shipped

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29563

This would have been useful about 10 years ago

nkling said: it probably easy and cheaper to get a new printer instead!!

but this might be good if you're giving older equipment to a kid.

MISTERCHEAP said: nkling said: it probably easy and cheaper to get a new printer instead!!

but this might be good if you're giving older equipment to a kid.

or for an older laser printer which are not so cheap

Thanks OP.

A cheaper price than I previously have found.

One of my customers has a boatload of older HP4 laserjet printers that they cannot part with.

Everytime an end-user gets a new PC, I have to add one of these cables.

Main reason being, the old printers like the HP4 used an aluminum fuser tube
[vs today's el-cheapo, heat-resistant, film cover that goes over the fuser's heat lamp]

Certain laser printer sheet-labels simply WILL NOT work with today's new "green", instant-on, "under $100"
laser printers; as the fuser lamp never gets hot enough to bake the toner onto the label sheet.

Only the older HP4 types [that took 5 minutes to heat up] are able to successfully fuse the toner to the plastic labels.

So there is still some user's that can use a "USB-to-Parallel" cable like this; especially when you can get them on the cheap.

I think USB 2.0 is an overkill. X-D

You can connect a printer to any computer and offer it as a option to print from any other computer. If you have a server why would you not just connect the printer directly to that?

my4mainecoons said: Maybe this is a question for the Technology Forum, but can someone tell me if this cable will help me w/ the following:
I have an (old) reliable HP LaserJet 2100 on my LAN but the printer itself is not networked, it's local printer for PC #1. The only way I can print from other PC's is to have both the server and PC#1 turned on.

I would like to be able to print using my netbook which only has USB ports. Printer does not have USB, just parallel type cable. If I got this cable would I be able to install my printer as a local printer for the netbook? I would disconnect the present cable and just patch in the netbook as needed--like when I need an extra set of coupons.

Printer is installed on other desktops but I have to go through PC#1 to print. Would I be able to install the printer as local printer so I could print w/o turning on the server and PC#1? I would connect this cable when using it as a local printer and disconnect when server & PC#1 are on. Can you have 2 different printer options for the same printer, one as local and one as through the network?

P.S. Is there a reason to go through Deal Extreme vs. eBay?

Look into getting an EIO network card for your printer. You can get cheap ones for under $15 on eBay, and the printer plugs right into your network. Then, any computers connected to the network can print to it (if you have a wireless network, friends/relatives who have wireless laptops can print).

As for your original question, that'll work fine. You may need to restart one (or both) of the computers or the printer when you re-connect it for it to print.

I had one of these and it would not work right in Vista. Not sure if that had to do with vista or just my printer. It would just spit out hundreds of sheets of garbled nonsense if i let it. Got a new printer and i'm happy

Looks identical to the one "ewinhk" is selling on eBay for $2.60 shipped.

Wow, a buck, good find! I doubt the one at DealExtreme is really USB 2.0. It's not unusual for cheap Chinese items to say "USB 2.0" when they mean "compatible with USB 2.0" but are really USB 1.1 devices.

2cheap2eat said: only difference is ewinhk is USB v1.1, not 2.0. Probably not a big deal since I'm seeing it as $1.00 shipped here

I ordered the cable at your link, the Paypal payment went through with no problem, then I get this e-mail from the seller later on:

hi,
sorry to tell you that
because the eBay system error,the shipping is missing..
so the price is not right
I have given you refund.
thank you

If you look at the majority of this seller's past auctions, most every item he has sold comes with free shipping. (feedbacks total over 18,000, with a 99%+ rating)
So how can he say eBay messed up? He has been selling for a long time.
After this e-mail was received, I went and looked at the auction item, and it still shows up at a BIN price of $1 w/free shipping. So I re-ordered again. We'll see what he does this time?

My questoion is this:

Isn't connecting through a parallel port FASTER than through a USB port?

I have both on my motherboard.

onlycom said: If you are still using a printer/scanner that requires a parallel port, you have been missing out BIG TIME here. I remember getting paid for purchasing printers with all those PMs, coupons and MIRs. Oh... good ol' times.

I took advantage of some of those deals too. That's how I got my new-ish USB Epson photo printer (new enough to have color LCD screen and flash memory slots). However, I also have an ancient 25yr old HP LaserJet Plus in the basement that works fine and I even have a new in box toner for it. It makes sense to me to spend a dollar for a USB interface (ewinhk didn't cancel/refund my bid for $1.00) so I can use up the toner on my ancient printer for things like eBay shipping labels and such. It works fine for that, saves money on inkjet ink, and labels look better on laser anyway. I figure to get a few more years of life out of it is less wasteful than throwing it out today.

MACCAWOLF said: I DID take advantage of lots of the deals, but now that I am on Linux, it is much harder to find one that works on Linxu at all, much less FAR. But my question remains the same. Isn't PARALLEL onterface FASTER thna USB?

Geez, if your using Linux then your probably tech saavy enough to use Google search to find your answer. Overwhelming search results state bascially the same thing: Parallel can run to about 1 or 2 mb/s while USB 1.1 is 11mb/s and USB 2 is 480mb/s.

I have a similar USB to serial adapter for the same reason you might buy this. I don't have a printer old enough to need one of these though. I had a HP 4L and parallel zip drive, but those are both sharing space in a landfill by now.

2cheap2eat said: only difference is ewinhk is USB v1.1, not 2.0. Probably not a big deal since I'm seeing it as $1.00 shipped hereYeah, because USB 1.1 at 10x parallel speed just isn't enough?

bletzinger said: GnatGoSplat said: Looks identical to the one "ewinhk" is selling on eBay for $2.60 shipped.

Thanks. I have an ancient HP scanner that may work (or not) with this. For $2.60, it's worth a try.

Unfortunately, it won't work. These only work with printers. They don't emulate a real parallel port, apparently the low-level implementation is completely different.
The only device I'm aware of that converts USB to a real parallel port is this device. The first two questions in his FAQ explains why USB-to-parallel printer interfaces don't work with anything other than printers. Since the USB to real parallel adapter is a niche device seemingly developed by one guy, the price is pretty high.

I got one of these a couple of months ago but it wouldn't recognize my old HP Laserjet III (using Win 7).

I was able to find an adapter that plugged into the lpt1 port on my Gygabyte motherboard for similar money (not all mobos have ports). I print maybe 10 sheets a month and the old HP laser printers won't die, and toner lasts forever too. Just don't leave your HP turned on - friends from HP tell me it uses more juice than a hair dryer just at idle.

GnatGoSplat said: Wow, a buck, good find! I doubt the one at DealExtreme is really USB 2.0. It's not unusual for cheap Chinese items to say "USB 2.0" when they mean "compatible with USB 2.0" but are really USB 1.1 devices.

The USB 2.0 standard allows products that only operate at "Full Speed" mode (12Mbit/sec) to still be called "USB 2.0".