Mac Serial Port

Hello Everyone,
We are trying to connect an address printer to an iMac, and we are completely stuck.  We want to use the Bulk Mailer software on the Mac, and it doesn't support printing from a USB port.  However we don't have a serial port on the Mac, do you know if it is possible to install one externally?

Thanks.

Stuck
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

On Serial-less PCs you can use a USB to Serial adapter.  They work OK.  Don't know about the Mac, but I suspect there must be something similar. 

christopher (baus.net)
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

For a proper serial port that will work exactly as a serial port you can't do it with a laptop, you have to get a tower model and then get a GeeThree Stealth I think it is called. It plugs into the modem slot and so you then have to buy an external modem as well. For just a printer, there is another product that might work but I don't recall at the moment if it works off the usb port and thus would work with your laptop or not.

Fred Burns
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Oh, iMac, that's not a laptop. But it's not very expandable right so I don't know, but you can find out if you start here: geethree.com

Fred Burns
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

And it says it works on some iMacs, iMac rev A-D (233-333 Mhz.)

Fred Burns
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Yet another reason why the Mac has 2% market share

OJ bin Laden
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Thanks, I will check that website out.

Stuck
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Yes I know. This is our only customer who has a Mac, and we had nothing but trouble unfortunately.

Stuck
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Keyspan Usb 2 Serial.

You have two models, Twin (2 Mini-DINs) Serial or one port (db-9 I think).

But you can't use it from Classic under OS X. You can use it
only with "native" software under both OS 9 or OS X.

Best of luck!

VPC
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

And do any of you guys know if I can find a "Generic Text Only Driver" for iMac?

Stuck
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

> "Generic Text Only Driver"

I think that is serial driver built in the OS and is used like this:

err = OpenDriver ("\p.BOut", outRefNum);

VPC
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

You can get USB to serial converters; presumably they will work on the Mac as well.

Stephen Jones
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Thanks everyone for your help, I will let you know how it goes.

Stuck
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

"Yet another reason why the Mac has 2% market share"

I'm not following your line of reasoning here - are you saying that PCs are backwards compatible with all obsolete standards?

Fred Burns
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

I'm not sure the standard is obsolete.  If it is, somebody should tell the network gear manufacturers.  Just about everything uses serial for the OOB console. 

christopher (baus.net)
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

"I'm not sure the standard is obsolete.  If it is, somebody should tell the network gear manufacturers.  Just about everything uses serial for the OOB console. "

The iMac is a consumer home machine you fool.

Why don't you get some brains
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

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