The Printer Again*

EDIT: I FINALLY got Fred’s laptop to be able to print on this printer. Don’t ask me how I did it! I tried this and I tried that and also I tried the other!

After setting up my Mac Book laptop in about three minutes, I found the Windows XP on Fred’s laptop very confusing…

Yesterday, as I mentioned, my new printer arrived. I finished setting it up this morning. Mostly, it went well until I got to the actual printing from my computer part. So, I did command P {which is the Mac equivalent of Control P} and nothing happened. Then, according to my usual pattern of complain-to-someone-about-the-frustration, I first went to talk to Fred about it, and then I went back to the printer and started to think about it.

Years ago I had a friend who built a computer for me and he always said that a large percentage of computer problems can be solved by unplugging and replugging! And it also occured to me that the printer might not like being plugged into a four-point USB hub on the desk. {Years ago, a camera my sister owned refused to work unless it was plugged directly into the USB port…} So, I reached behind the monitor to unplug the hub and the plug-in end of the cord dropped into my hand as I touched it! So, that was probably causing the problem. However, I unplugged the hub completely and plugged the USB cord coming from the back of the printer straight into the computer USB port. Like magic, the printer was installed!  And the "share this printer" box was checked. I put some paper in the printer and printed off a random bit of OD. Then I went to my Mac Book. And since Macs are famously easy to set up, in about a minute and a half, the Mac Book was talking to the printer. I printed off another random bit of OD just to be sure it works. Now, the only thing left to do is to see if I can get Fred’s Windows XP to see the printer, also. I am remaining optimistic although I never did get his laptop to converse with the other printer. I can’t get to his computer now because he is busy, but later on today, I will whip it out of his hands and see what I can do.

Now I am off the play with the scanner part of the new appliance. I cannot think of any reason why I would need to send or receive a fax so I am not going to even look at that bit! {Years ago when I was teaching, I traumatized myself for in relation to faxes when I sent fifteen pages of blank sheets to another school by putting the wrong side of each paper into our school fax. }

QUOTATIONS:

"Step by step. I can’t think of any other way of accomplishing anything."

Michael Jordan

"Fear not for the future, weep not for the past."

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) English poet