[busesrkool]

Hi,
Since I'm new to this forum,(I belong to others about PDA's)I was wondering how hard it is to connect my laptop to my printer since I already have a desktop computer hooked to it. I need both computers hooked to the printer.

I did a search and looked for this question before.

And if anyone knows of any forums about laptops, please let me know.

Thanx in advance

[RandyG]

The only ways I know of connecting more than one machine to a Printer is Networking, or switchboxes.

Networking your Laptop to your desktop gives greater file sharing capabilities, as well as allowing you to use the other PC's devices. Gives greater flexibility all around, but you will have to buy a network PC Card, if your laptop does not have one integrated, as well as a network card for your desktop. A PCMCIA Nwteork card would run you around $40 and one for the desktop about $10. If it does, and you only have the one machine, then buying a crossover cable would be about $10.

A switch would go between the printer and the 2 machines, allowing multiple Parallel cables, and multiple machines, to connect to the one printer, but you can only have one machine printing to the printer at a time. This is a cheap solution to having to buy network cards and configure a network itself.

[Moby]

Don't know if this works and is a kind of question of my own. Couldn't you have the printer wired to one computer via the parrallel cable and the other via usb, obviously installing the software as such on the 2 different machines and assuming the printer has both options available?

[RandyG]

Normal printers, AFAIK, will only allow one interface, or controlling PC. Using 2 ports, if it has 2 available will only confuse the poor little critter.

That is the reaosn why most companies will buy standard printers and have it connected to one machine, but allow networked systems to share it.