Eric Schwarz wrote:
>I picked up a Portable StyleWriter today. It doesn't have an AC adapter, >but it has a (prolly dead) battery. What do I need to know about one of >these? Is it worth fixing up? > >Also, this one seems rather strange: it has a Centronics 36-pin PC parallel >port, rather than a 8-pin Mac serial port. What's with this? Hi, Eric. I picked up on one of these a couple of months ago for the sole reason that it was of a piece with my 540c. And, yes, it is a bizarre piece of Apple hardware, particularly that parallel port (see Apple's justification in the FAQ). I don't know what you paid for yours, but I discovered that these things went for around $450 when new. Yes, you will need the AC adapter for exactly the same reason as you need one for your 'Book. If you're patient, you may find one on eBay for not much money, or, as an alternative, you might try a "WTB" on LEM Swap List. You'll need to search Apple's TIL, or whatever it's called today, for articles on some secret commands to test the machine and charging the battery. I tried to find an owner's manual on Gamba's site but came up empty. I can't tell you whether it's worth fixing up, but you should realize going in that repairing one of these seems to be strictly part replacement and there aren't many discrete parts at that. Software is still available at Apple's website. "Portable StyleWriter" v.1.0 goes into the Extensions folder, as do "SpoolLauncher" v2.1.1a and "SpoolMaster" v2.1.1a. And the good news is that these seem to play nice together with the other things in OS8.1. I hope this helps, and if you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to lend a hand. Tyler Williams -- PowerBooks is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PowerBooks list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? Get free email and more at Applelinks! <http://www.applelinks.com>
