Home Forums Peripherals & Multimedia Peripherals HP5mp/HP6mp Printers and Snow Leopard

Any reason why these won't work under Snow Leopard? Fed up with using My Ti as a print server to my Applewriter 4/600. I can connect the HP printer 3 ways as I see it:
1) Using AsanteTalk box with LocalTalk as the connectivity. (NOT Appletalk, the language.)
2) Using the Intel Print Server box I have that connects 10BaseT to Parallel which is programmed using a PC. (I tried to use it to connect my Apple 4/600 Laserwriter as an experiment but the Asante box flashed incoming and outgoing signals but never found the printer.
3) Parallel to USB cable.

The newer printers are not the workhorses these are and the supplies are expensive and toner cartridges small. The working parts are delicate. I like these old workhorses and all the old Apple printers that are IP addressable and useable under SL are gone so this is another choice. Also, which is better choice, 6mp or 5mp. I need the mp as opposed to the m because I need the smaller size. Too bad, the m has an ethernet connection. As always, your input greatly appreciated. Maybe I can solve this problem once and for all. I found a supplier that sells refurbished ones with extended warranties.

The obvious question is are you certain you're running the most up-to-date drivers?

Since both of your printers are Postscript, then the CUPS (Common Unix Print System) postscript driver that is part of OS X should work. All you need is the correct PPDs to describe the attributes of the printers to your system. PPDs for the HP Laserjet 4MP, 5MP, and 6MP are included as part of the standard Snow Leopard installation (I just found them with Spotlight set to include system files). The Applewriter 4/600 PPD is available from Openprinting.org if you don't have a copy lying around.

You have indicated you want a workhorse printer, so I am assuming your primary interest is in printing standard size paper in black and white with no frills such as automatic duplex, etc. Given that, choosing between the HP 4MP, 5MP, and 6MP, all else being equal, I would go with the individual printer that has printed the fewest pages in its life, and you can find that information in the menus. Printers are designed for certain life cycles, number of pages per hour, pages per month, and total life cycle. The fewer pages it has printed in its life the longer it is likely to last assuming it has not been otherwise abused or had problems.

As to the connection method, I have tried Parallel to USB cables in the past with mixed results so that might or might not work satisfactorily for you. I used an AsanteTalk box many years ago and it worked for a while. I have slept too many times since then and for the life of me I cannot remember why I had to replace it. I have no experience with the Intel box but the necessity of programming it via a PC is enough to turn me off.

Good luck!

I'm not a printer maven, so I'm not certain whether slolerner needs to d/l HP Printer Drivers v.2.4.1 for Mac OS X v10.6...seems like it may be helpful.

Thanks to all. Got an HP Laserjet 6MP, 13,000 pages printed, on eBay for $15 + shipping. Figured it would be easier, perhaps, in configuring because the 6MP has the Intel chip, the 5MP has the Motorola chip. Hooked it up to the network print server and it took a bit of doing, but WOW! Getting rid of the AsanteTalk bridge has sped up my printing tremendously and now I can sell my Titanium that I was using as a print server. A friend of mine is going to play around with my old Apple 4/600's (2 of them) with a PC and a Dayna bridge.

Afterthought: I was laying in bed and just figured out the reason why the printer is so fast now is that the MBP is doing the rip instead of the Titanium. Duh!

the 3, 4, and 6 MP's are all good printers in my experience.

nothing like having a nice fast laser printer at your disposal.

I'm really pleased. Thanks to all. Best $15 I ever spent. (Plus 99 cents for the print server)