How can one connect an older Mac computer to a new (2002) PC-type printer that has a USB or a parallel connection?
The very short answer is: you can’t do this, you have to buy an old Apple printer. I have some of those. If you want details about WHY you can’t use new printers, read on. Otherwise check my Web site for old Mac printers. The Mac modem/printer port is properly called a DIN-8. On a Windows/Intel computer, they use a “DB-9” connector for similar purposes, known as “serial” communications. Either are called “serial” devices as they send information on one wire, one bit at a time. Modems and some printers are serial devices. Printers which use USB connections or parallel port connections have a VERY different way of communicating, it is not a matter of just a cable. In effect you are asking something like “how can I connect my TV to my computer?”, it’s not just about connectors. If you want to get more technical information about these sorts of connections, check the Web using some of the keywords in this FAQ item, or browse a bookstore. Meanwhile, the short answer to your question is that
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