At 10:11 AM 2/8/99 , TOM TETZLAFF wrote:
>I'm running a 166mhz
>Pentium with 32MB RAM and one parallel port.  I have a Plustek
>OpticPro 9630P flatbed scanner with a parallel port passthrough hooked
>up with my HP LaserJet 5L, and both work fine,
>
>I want to somehow add an Iomega Zip Plus to my collection, and I was
>told that I could daisychain the three off the one parallel port with
>*no problemo*. Is this going to fly? It doesn't seem likely to me.
>Options I have considered (to use after the crash and reformat) are:
>1. Installing an SCSI card for the zip drive.
>2. Installing another parallel port for one of the above.
>3. Installing an A/B switch somewhere in the mess.
>

I have LOTS of experience trying to connect devices to my laptop parallel
port where I can't add additional cards. I would not recommend trying to go
through both the zip and scanner to a printer.  It CAN be done and I have
done it.  It is touchy at best.  I have three parallel port scanners, a
parallel port video camera, an external parallel port hard drive, two
parallel port zip drives and an HP1600 printer.  Certain combinations will
work and others will not. Some will hot Plug'n'play and others will cause
system freeze.

I would opt for wither the SCSI card or an IDE Zip drive.  I also have an
IDE internal Zip.  The IDE "seems" 10X faster than the parallel port zips
and is VERY stable.  If you want portability, definitely go with the SCSI.
The IDE interface is sufficient to handle the Zip speed and is easily
installed.  (I assume that the Zip Plus comes with IDE??)

I would try to avoid the A/B switch because it your scanner behaves like
mine, it must be connected to the parallel port at startup to be recognized
and also the zip drive has to be connected at startup to be recognized.
Unless you a *very* fast with the switch only one will be connected after
you boot up.


>Whaddaya' think? (I already have two registry backup programs running
>in anticipation of the maiden voyage of the new addition to my
>hardware
>collection.)
>
>Thanks in advance,
>TOM TETZLAFF
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>                         PCBUILD's List Owner's:
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>                        Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>

Doug Simmons

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