My computer is set up without a printer attached. SWMBO's computer has a USB-connected ink jet. When I want to print something, I use Sneakernet -- that is, I copy the file to a flash drive, run it over to her computer, and print it from the flash drive.

Question: The files go onto the flash drive, but there are also the "ghost files" created, same filenames but preceded by a "._". These files stay on the flash drive even after the original "real" files are deleted. The ghost files are small -- usually 8K or 16K.

What are these?

tanstaafl.

Dunno, but you could share her printer over the network and print directly from your computer.

Perhaps... if I were smart enough to figure out how to make the network function. SWMBO has a Macintosh, I run Windows Vista (to my regret) and the differences in religion are hard for me to work with.

Even if I could get the computers talking to each other, could I print to her printer? It is a USB printer, not Ethernet.

tanstaafl.

Fixable for $60 assuming other stuff is networked:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122137

Tho' I won't let any relatives buy a printer without ethernet.

(edit: oh and sure you could share the printer over the network from a single computer but I hate that more -- making printing depend on the proper function of the hosting computer == bad, I think. Dedicated print server less trouble over time.)

Take two.

The fact that the computers are dissimilar should not be an issue. Are they both plugged into some sort of ISP-provided network device? Whatever blue, black or green box that your broadband provider provided? So they can get on the Eenterneat?

If not then maybe time to drop back and rethink.

But if the Mac and Veesta machines are already networked to that mysterious blue/green/black box then just look to see if there is another open port on that box. That would let you plug in existing printer using ethernet/USB print server previously mentioned.

Computers on networks need "IP addresses". Your Mac and Veesta machines, if networked, are likely getting theirs automatically (from the blue/black/green box). If so, it is not hard to dream up an additoonal IP address that you can assign to the printer (print server) so that you can then configure the Mac and Veesta machines to print to eet.

True, it's not ideal, but the sneakernet method requires the same conditions. I was going to suggest the printer sharing as well, but I'm not quite sure how to do that in a Mac/Windows environment. The only thing I can think of that would make it easy is Bonjour, but I only know how to use that with a printer attached to an airport extreme. I believe it would work almost the same way though, wouldn't it?

Thanks for the link to the print server, by the way. I hadn't seen one that inexpensive before. I only have two caveats about it, though: first, it seems to get pretty low customer ratings on Newegg (not always the deciding factor, but something to keep in mind), and second, in my experience I've never gotten a print server that inexpensive to work with a multifunction printer. It's definitely advised that Doug check out a compatibility list first if he has one of those print/scan/fax/coffee/taxes/lawnmowing things.

Anyway, I'd take a look at Bonjour, as unfortunately I have no idea what those files are

The ._ files you are seeing on the flash drive are resource fork files the Mac is saving to it, similar to the random thumbs.db and other files Windows systems save to disk. You can delete them without any harm, though the Mac will keep putting them back. Basically it's really bad legacy stuff that I hope Apple just fully kills off soon.

As for printer sharing, it's easy. As Dignan suggested, download Bonjour for Windows to add the protocol Apple uses for auto network discovery of resources. On the Mac, here is what you need to do to share the printer:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and pick System Preferences
2. Click Print & Fax
3. Click the Printer you want to share on the left
4. Click "Share this Printer"

You may be alerted that the system printer sharing is off. If it is, it will notify you, and present a Sharing button to click. Click it, then turn on Printer Sharing.

Once you have done the above, go to the Vista machine with Bonjour installed, and look for the Printer setup utility under the Start menu that it installed.

If you turn on Windows sharing on the Mac it should appear but I confess I haven't tried it as we are trying to get away from such setups.


It may be enough to have Windows sharing turned on. From what I have seen of bonjour I'd say it coule be swell for a home office (but hell in a larger environment where people wind up discovering and printing to the wrong, fuzzily-named printers -- "I *think* 'Hallway Laserjet' is the printer I want send this 300-page document to!!")



We bought one of those Netgears to bypass a failed JetDirect card and it seems OK, but don't take my word for it.


It is my opinion that noone should ever buy a multifunction, "all-in-one" printer/fax/scanner with the expectation that it will work with any computer other than the one computer to which it is directly attached (via USB, mostly nowadays). There's always a gotcha. "Note: the XXX function will not work over ethernet or from a Mac except via USB"


yep!

Personally, I wouldn't bother with Bonjour for Windows. It only really saves you the step of typing in "\\ip-address" and double-clicking the printer.

And then dealing with setting it up again when the DHCP addresses change due to a router power cycle, and again, and again, and again...

For Doug's case, it simplifies the setup a lot both initially and long term.

This is why I like a free-standing print server. An arbitrary static IP on the print server, DHCP everywhere else.


Six of one...