I need a laptop with a built-in parallel port, but due to a lack of space this laptop's footprint needs to be as small as possible. Any suggestions? It doesn't need to be a Thinkpad. Thanks.

No idea, bu this little yoke might help: http://www.pridopia.co.uk/952me-pr1.html

240x has parallel port

The X30 and other X3x models have a parallel port in the ultrabase. If you don't have any issues with height that's a fairly small footprint. You also get a serial port(very useful for some cisco equipment) and some other ports.

Actually, I have a HP T5700 Thin client lying around here.
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quic ... 3_div.HTML
Dimensions H x W x D (approximate)
Without stand: 2.2 x 8.2 x 7.8 in (55 x 205 x 195 mm)
With stand: 9.2 x 4 x 7.8 in (230 x 100 x 195 mm)

It has Embedded XP installed, as well as a 6GB Hitachi MicroDrive.
This has a parallel port, but needs an external keyboard/mouse/monitor to set up or change things.
If power goes out, it self-boots when power comes back on.
This might be an option.
PM me if interested.

Having owned three 240's, one 240X and one i1124 (240Z's twin), I realized that they have parallel ports but I am hoping for something that's even smaller, more modern, and more novel-to-me (I always like to try something different). If such a laptop doesn't exist, I may just get a 240/X/Z but hopefully I won't have to.



The keyboard/mouse/monitor part would be a problem. If I went with a desktop, the size of the main box doesn't matter at all because I could just put it under the desk, on the floor. It's desk space that I need to conserve. However, if I can get a tiny external keyboard with a trackpoint and a sub-12-inch external monitor, then your Thin Client might work.

A KVM comes to mind, since you have already keyboard/video/mouse from your desktop!
And since this thing can stand up, it takes up only ca. 8"x4" of real-estate when on its stand.

I just don't like KVM's.



How could you guess? You are indeed correct. The desktop is under the desk, but the monitor (my 23" Dell sp2309w) and keyboard need to be on the desk and this desk is very small, leaving barely enough room for a tiny laptop. (And I must use this desktop, because I need several PCI slots.)

The reason I am looking for a laptop with a parallel port built in is that I worry that for a parallel port added via ExpressCard/USB/PCMCIA, its address (e.g. 0378) might change randomly. I absolutely must have a parallel port address that never changes. If someone could assure me that the address of a USB/EC/PCMCIA parallel port never changes, then I would pursue this route and would probably get a 9" netbook e.g. the Asus T91 or the Dell Mini 9.



But I would still put it on the floor like I would a desktop computer.

Since you have some desktops, why not use the one from your desktop?
If need be, add a PCI card with another parallel port to the desktop!
Use your imagination...

Not so simple, for reasons I won't get into because they would take pages to explain.

I need a separate computer with a parallel port. Did any 10.4" Toughbooks have one?

You could have my thin client incl. power supply for $75.- shipped to MI.
Tempting?

Duh, time to get into the new millennium:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Belkin-F5U002V1 ... 1e6a43c1e1

It's a possibility though like I said, if I go the desktop route, size is irrelevant, because the unit would just stay on the floor, not on the desk, and so I would most likely just grab one of my many extra desktops. In my view, desktops should never be on the desk!

And if I end up using a desktop, this 7" monitor would work: http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/usb- ... ID=3090776

Also, this mini keyboard might be small enough, though I wish it had a trackpoint so I wouldn't need additional space for an external mouse: http://www.ebay.com/itm/77-Keys-USB-2-0 ... 519343413a.



Wow, what's "USB"? Is it compatible with my abacus?

If you look at my previous posts you would know my reason for not using adapters. And BTW, your recommendation is a printer cable, not a parallel port. The parallel port is useful for many things other than hooking up printers. In this case, I use it for sending out a TTL pulse.

I'd suggest then, that you look for a 1995 model Thinkpad. That'd have just the ports you want

How about 1999 instead? The Thinkpad 240 briefly mentioned above was introduced in June 1999, and that would actually work for what I need.

X31 has built-in parallel port, see http://www.notebookreview.com/assets/5572.jpg

And I also happen to have two very nice X31 machines (2672-B2U and 2885-PWU) for sale at a very reasonable price.
The -PWU even comes with the original box, manual, charger etc.!
PM me if interested.