No, it's not a variation on a dodgy internet video.
I have a Windows XP computer and a Windows 7 laptop. They are in a location that can't currently connect to the internet. For some odd reason I can only connect the laser printer to the XP computer with a parallel cable. This isn't a problem. It can connect to the laptop via USB. Is it possible to connect it to both at the same time. Or will one of them not be recognised.
It will be a week before I can try it out and am just curious to know if I'm wasting my time thinking about it.
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Never buy black socks from a normal shop. They shaft you every time.
depends on the programming of the motherboard in the printer but I would say that you've got a 90/10 chance in favour of success.
Modern printers have their own built in memory and "should" queue your prints no matter which device such was requested from.
Only once have I seen a disaster with implementing this and it was with a very old settup where the printer had no memory of its own so just queud from the attached network and where two or more people routed prints then the printer at the same time then rather than queueing it would take a page from one then a page from another etc.
You still got your print but it took a damn site longer to unravel them than if you had printer one report then printed the next... Must admit on occassion to simply reprinting rather than wasting my time sorting papers.
Back to the original question. It should be fine but you won't know until you try it.
For info, one of my printers is set up via lan cable from my network and with a USB from the laptop and I've never had a problem or had to unplug anything. (it's an HP officejet).
HTH,
Shaun.
P.S. thinking about it, you may have an issue if you were to ever attempt to print any document too large for the printers onboard memory as then it would need to page data using the computer rather than keeping it internally so might get confussed as to which input it should be communicating with.
That said, it takes a lot of print to fill up the average printers memory so it's an issue you may never hit.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
If plugging them both in doesn't work, your other option is to network together then two machines (wireless or wired) and then share the printer out from your main PC.
