New printers supported on old LC II

Question

Can anyone tell me clearly what printer cable connection and communication standards are supported by the LC II?
Background: I want to replace a Personal LaserWriter LS currently being used with the LC II, and Apple's document at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=24473 seems to make confusing and inconsistent use of the connection and communication terms (Appletalk, Localtalk, serial, Serial Peripheral 8, mini DIN-8, RS-232, RS-422). In other words, I can't go out and simply look for a printer with Macintosh support, since Mac requirements are specific and varied. One size will not fit all.
More: The Apple document indicates that the PLW LS only supports RS-232C communication over a serial Peripheral 8 cable connection. But the specs on the LC II at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=112185 and in other Apple documents merely indicate that the LC II has a serial printer port. No mention of whether it supports more than RS-232C (RS-422A or perhaps a proprietary Apple protocol).
--John Hupp
LC II   Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier  

Answer 1

Unfortunately, the answer to your topic title is that there are no new printers for an LC II. It really isn't necessary to differentiate the terminology used to describe the printer port. The LC II has a "mini DIN-8" Apple serial port, and Mac-compatible printers in production today connect via USB and require OS 8.6 or newer. There was a (now-discontinued) product called "PowerPrinter," that enabled the connection of "PC" printers to a Mac's serial printer port, using an adapter cable that connected to the printer's parallel port. A CD with drivers was included with the product. If you were to find a used PowerPrinter adapter, you'd need to get an older/used "supported" PC printer (driver must be included on the PowerPrinter CD). If you happen to own an older "PC" printer that's supported, you might try finding a "PowerPrinter" adapter at eBay. What OS version are you running on the LC? With the LC II's memory cap of 10 MBs, OS 7.5.5 or 7.6 would likely be the latest supported. This limits the use of newer (but still discontinued) printers, which might require OS 8.1 or newer. The Epson Stylus Color 740 (color ink jet) was one of the last, good printers for Macs, because it featured both serial and USB connectivity (and a parallel port for PCs). I don't recall the minimum OS requirement for it, but the Epson web site would have that info. These printers typically sell for $10-$15 at thrift stores, with OEM replacement black and color ink tanks still selling for about $30 each. If you'd like to stick with a laser printer, you can still find used LaserWriter LS models on eBay (and I occasionally see them donated to thrift stores). As you know, the replacement toner for one exceeds the value of the printer. If you want a color ink jet printer, I'd suggest looking for a used Apple Color StyleWriter 2400 or 2500 (both manufactured by Canon), or the Color StyleWriter 4100 or 4500 (both manufactured by HP). The latter two were Apple's last color ink jet printers sold. Of course, the other alternative would be to replace your old LC II with a newer, older Mac. Beige G3s sell for $15 at thrift stores now, and adding a USB PCI card provides options for a variety of printing solutions. The only drawback to a newer computer would be the compatibility of the programs that you're currently running on the LC II, with the minimum supported OS version (8.1) for a beige G3.