how to set up a laserwriter

[falen5]

Hi people. Got my hands on a laserwriter finally. Ended up getting an Apple  Laserwriter 4/600 PS. I have it hooked up to my LC475. Printer is sitting there with green light..all looking good

how do i install it.

 I found a folder in extensions disablled  called printer descriptions. In there is an extension for this printer. I moved the entire folder over to the extensions folder and rebooted

I cant remember how to do this. I did set up a style writer II years ago but just cant remember.

Is it a case of placing an extension in the extensions folder or is there an entire setup process.

The lc475 has 3 printers installed on it already and id like to remove thoes.

but ill be dammed if i can remember how to do it

cheers people

 

[olePigeon]

Yes, there should be a "LaserWriter 8" extension.  If that's in your extensions folder, open up Chooser and click on it.  Your LaserWriter should pop up.

 

[beachycove]

What System software on the LC475? On the basis of any standard System installation of 7.1-8.1, you should be able to see the LW4/600 in the Chooser, assuming that you have AppleTalk properly configured (configured to the proper port in the control panel), and that the Extensions are properly loaded. The setup might benefit from a later iteration of the LaserWriter software if you are running something below, say, System 7.6, but it will work just fine without it. LaserWriter 8 would be a late update.

Printers can be removed from the Chooser by disabling the relevant Extension, and from the desktop in 7.5+ (desktop printers) by dragging to the trash, once the Extension has been disabled.

 

[falen5]

spot on pigeon. Chooser, laser 8 and there it was. Select my printer, click setup, and icon apeared on the desktop

its running 7.6. As soon as i selected it, it  printed first time

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sweet

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thanks folks

 

[falen5]

i found the origional 3 floppies of marker garden for this printer, but there all as one .sit file. have to get out the g3 again and make me some floppies.

any idea what would be on them, or would it be worth going to the bother seems the printer is working

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maybey it would make it faster at printing?

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by the way...the toner is still printing...thing must be over 20 years old.....great stuff

 

[604ev]

You will also need the "Apple Printer Utility" to rename or setup the printer's options.

If you enable the "Print Diagnostic Page at Startup", then you will know how many pages have already been printed.

And you will know if the printer has the 4Mb Memory Upgrade (I'm still looking for this module).

Printing will be faster with the Memory Upgrade, but it will be too if you only use the In-ROM printer's fonts... (like the Printer Utility, they are available on the floppys)

 

[falen5]

thanks 604. I made the floppies from the image and sure enough there is a printer utility with more options. Still cant get over how well this is printing considering its age

 

[604ev]

Most of the printing mechanism is included with the toner, so replacing the toner will give full quality.

Problems can occur if captors are dirty or wheels too used. If the printer has less than 80.000 copies (I guess..)  there should be no problems.

You might be lucky because the 4/600PS were very slow and many people replaced them as soon as possible.. I mean before 50000 copies.

PS: don't try to print 20 pages at once..

 

[beachycove]

It is a much, much, MUCH better printer with the memory upgrade installed.

 

[604ev]

so, falen angel.. how many copies, how much ram?

@beachycove:

the memory upgrade is useless: if you have one you can give it to me.

 

[falen5]

sorry for the delay people. I got this printer that came with a toner still in it , don't know how old, but it works, a bit faded, but still good.

It also came with a brand new toner, still in its unopened box.Have not had time to do much with it since. There was a problem with the rear plastic lever that directs where the print comes out. Its the lever that makes the print come  out on top or the back

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would not lock into top position. Ended up taking main cover off to clean it out. The inside looked clean enough to me, with my limited use of printers, but cleaned out the lever part, all working good.

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think you are right 604 on this model not being used that much before replacement.

How do I find out how many prints the machine has done. Is it in a rom or something

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thanks people

 

[604ev]

How do I find out how many prints the machine has done. Is it in a rom or something

you need to enable the printing of the Startup Test Page with Apple Printer Utility and then reboot the printer (via the utility or the AC cord).

this page will show how many prints and installed memory as well.

 

[falen5]

thanks 604ev. Will give it a shot

 

[beachycove]

The Apple P Utility software will tell you the number of pp printed, within the software. You really only need the information once, rather than on each usage.

 

[NJRoadfan]

The 4/600PS is based on the Canon PX engine. Slow, but rarely has problems. Toner and parts are dirt cheap as HP sold PX engine printers as the Laserjet 4L/4P.  The "slow" 4PPM printing was a compromise to keep costs down. It was , after all, the first "personal" laser printer out there! I happen to still occasionally use this printer's cousin, the Laserjet 4MP. Still works great and can't beat the $15-20 toner carts. Also the HP version takes standard SIMMs, so mine is expanded to a ridiculous 22MB.

 

[olePigeon]

Laserjet 4MP, how I love thee!  Let me count the ways!  Cheap to repair!  Cheap to refill!  Cheap to upgrade!  Cheap to Network!  

My work has a 4MP that we've used since before even the secretary started working there.  It's been used for over 20 straight years to print reports from the district.  We only retired it last year because we found that the archaic terminal emulator software will print successfully to the Xerox ColorQube.  It's now a classroom printer.  It's never broke down, and we haven't even replaced the fuser yet.  20 years!  It's magic, I tell ya!

They just don't make them like they used to.

 

[Unknown_K]

Postscript printing is rather limited with the stock RAM. I have one of these printers and it took me ages to find the RAM upgrade. You can also get a serial to Ethernet printer adapter and share the printer over the network if you like.

 

[NJRoadfan]

Its weird that Apple only put 2MB of RAM in these. I didn't even think that was enough to image a 600dpi Postscript page. HP didn't think so either as the 4MP came with 6MB.

 

[604ev]

The Apple P Utility software will tell you the number of pp printed, within the software. You really only need the information once, rather than on each usage.

It's true... no need to print the startup page: the Utility (available on every Classic MacOS CD) gives all the printer's infos.