Printer Sharing - All apps crash!

Question

I recently purchased an iMac Intel 20" currently running 10.4.6. I have my USB HP laser printer connected to one of my old iBook G3 (also running 10.4.6) with printer shaing turned on. In the past (before the iMac) I shared a printer between iBooks (G3) with zero problems. It seems now when I try to print from my iMac to the shared printer, no matter what app I am using, the app crashes.
In contrast, when I print from my iBook G3 to the shared printer on my OTHER iBook G3... it works like a charm. Can anyone help out?

Answer 1

OK, but have you plugged the printer into the iMac and was it recognized and could print? It should. And that's fine. But apparently you don't want to use it like that? I think that's where the problem starts.
What I'm referring to is the fact that printer drivers on Intel Macs will be different from printer drivers on iBook G3's. They won't have the same version. Check the printer setup utility in each and you'll see that the drivers are different versions. As far as I know, printer driver software isn't designed so that different versions can communicate with each other. It's designed to communicate with the printer only.
So, if you want the printer to print from the iBook, I think you'll have to move the item you want to print from the iMac to the iBook first, then have the iBook go ahead and direct the printing of it by the printer.
If your printer was wireless, it wouldn't matter, as it could receive its instructions from any number of computers, as long as it can understand the driver that's on each computer. The only way the printer can understand each computer's driver is if that driver is compatible with that computer.
So, even if it were possible to install the iMac's printer driver version onto the iBook, the iBook couldn't use that driver to give printing instructions to the printer.
However, I'm guessing you'll have MUCH better printing results using the iMac to direct the printing. Is there any reason not to reverse the order and have the printer connected to the iMac instead of to the iBook?
I'm guessing that the iMac can print anything that the iBook could send it to print, while I wouldn't be as sure that the iBook could print everything the iMac might send it to print. With the iMac's processor, I believe you'll find it will have any easier time speeding things through the printer, and yet be able to continue to do something else while that is being done.
Message was edited by: myhighway