PCA Forums

Hey Guys,

My uncle is in the market for a new lappy ~$1500. He runs a cabinet making business, and the program that he uses for designing his cabinets requires a parallel port. But I have yet to find a new High-End lappy that has one (new lappy at all for that matter). Do they make a Parallel to USB adapter that he can get to use with it? If you have links to one you know will work I'd appreciate it. Thanks Guys!!

eGo

chances are the reason he need the port is due to a hardware key to run the software. And if you go usb to parlell it might not work right.

Just a guess.

what about a port replicator- I have a targus port replicator i use with my dell and its great- it uses 1 usb slot and has mouse, keyboard, parralel, serial, ethernet, all through 1 usb!
This way i keep eveything plugged in at home, and when i come in all i have to do is plug in the usb and monitor and the laapy is now a full fledged computer
http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=PA090U

That port replicator is a good idea, but man what a price tag! heh.. I'll send him an email tonight and find out "why" he has to have the parallel port.

Thanks Guys!

eGo

My Dell Latitude D600 has a parallel port. Only problem is this model runs about $2k.

Hey Ego they do make a converter from USB to DB 9 as my new lappy did not have one either and I needed it so I could configure Cisco routers at some of our customers and those routers have a db 9 TO RJ 45 , iI am not sure if this is what you are looking for but it is made by I/O Gear and the model # is GUC232A

Originally posted by chak22
Hey Ego they do make a converter from USB to DB 9 as my new lappy did not have one either and I needed it so I could configure Cisco routers at some of our customers and those routers have a db 9 TO RJ 45 , iI am not sure if this is what you are looking for but it is made by I/O Gear and the model # is GUC232A

Hey Chak,

Thanks for the idea, I think I found a less expensive version of what BillyGoat recommened (It only has the parallel and DB9) which has the parallel port for about $60.

Pugs, you're right, the software does have and require a key.

Thanks for the recommendation BillyGoat, looks like he's probably gonna end up with the $59.99 version of the replicators.

eGo

figured as much... Most real industreal software has a hardware key and it uses the parellel port. And when you said he does cabnet making and there is software that he does it with thats the first thing i thought of when he NEEDED to have that port.