Info-Mac

My roommate and I ran across a pretty decent looking (appearances only) Apple LaserWriter 8500 at a computer surplus store that had like hundreds of old PCs and stuff just lying around. A little research shows this to be a perfect fit for our needs, since it is networkable, fast and prints high quality results.

Now, we've already determined that it can be used with our Leopard computers, but what is the best method by which to do this? And what, if anything, should we know ahead of time? Will I need to keep a classic Mac handy to configure the printer?

Also, what should I look for when we go back tomorrow and have a closer look? Any common problems?

The LaserWriter 8500 is an excellent printer. I have had mine for 8-10 years and it is a real workhorse. Paper feed is flawless, print quality is excellent and it is unbelievably reliable.

The configuration utility runs only in OS 9 and earlier and makes the settings very easy. You can define default print options to save time when using the print box in OS X. In OS X you can telnet into the printer and change options as well (telnet://printerIP).

I have found it can get lost on the network from time to time and it is best to give it a fixed IP. Also the default it to not to enter energy saving mode, so if you wish to leave it on all the time you should set a time for it to go asleep. My particular 8500 also had the toner density set much higher than needed to produce a great copy.

I think you can find all the manuals for it online as well as the printer configuration utility without too much effort.

bill