Assembly Guide
4
AG-2 Printing to a Mac-only HP DeskWriter® from a Windows® PC®
More Advice on Cabling
Assuming you already have a Mac modem cable (DB-25-to-mini-
DIN-8), what you need is also a null-modem cable "inline" on your
way to connecting the printer to your PC. Then, you need gender
changers because nearly all null-modem cables these days have
female DB-9s on each end.
There are also some molded DB-25-to-DB-9 adapters out there –
but you will need one with the right sexes (DB-25 female, DB-9
male).
Table 1 (male = pin, female = socket) lists all the connectors and
their sexes as an example of how to connect a typical PC (with
DB-9 serial ports) to a DeskWriter. Each connection is made from
one item's end B to the next item's end A.
Item End A End B
PC serial port – male DB-9
Null-modem cable female DB-9 female DB-9
Adapter(s) male DB-9 female DB-25
Mac modem cable male DB-25 male mini-DIN-8
DeskWriter female mini-DIN-8 –
Table 1: Example Connection using Readily Available
Cables and Adapters
Note
Null-modem cables are also sometimes called computer-to-
computer or LapLink
®
cables. Regardless, cables with female DB-
9s on each end are usually null-modem cables. Null modem cables
are internally different from straight-through / extension cables,
which are always female on one end and male on the other.
Software Configuration
Some Windows drivers for HP DeskJet printers appear to work
properly with their DeskWriter equivalents having the same model
number. In general, you should use the Windows printer driver for
the DeskJet that is most similar to your DeskWriter.
Separate installation instructions for Windows 98 and Windows
XP are presented below.
Drivers Details – Windows 98
For the DeskWriter 660C, the most obvious HP driver choice is the
DeskJet 660 (Color) driver supplied with Windows 98. Version
