>>SCSI does has advantages at times :)
>
>It is a SCSI drive...
>

OK, which Sony? The CD-R interface for SCSI-2 drives is pretty much completely standard, so if the HP works (which it does) there shouldn't be a need for anything special as far as a driver for the Sony you use! As long as it's SCSI-2 compliant, the SCSI-2 streaming block protocols have been the same for better than 5 years...

>>Yuck. Can't you get the 3100 up with a backwards-compatible driver? I've never used the 3100, but I do use the 4050 by mis-identifying it where I'm sharing it...the 4000 series HP driver is not wonderful.
>
>No. These boxes are what they call host driver driven which means there's a virtual interface on the client that's talking to the printer. In other words all the processing for printing happens on the computer not the printer. Problem is that this software apparently doesn't want to install. It keeps bombing when it tries to install files into the Spool directory.
>

Ugh. Something like the "thought process" that went into WinModems? What does putting the responsibility for handling the printer back on Win2K do for you? It's a big step backwards, for very little savings looking at it from a cost standpoint at least...

>I'll have to try HP tomorrow - their Web site is so screwed up it's pretty sad actually. I couldn't register or get to any of the support because the registration form wouldn't let me through.
>
>Grrr....
>
>Well, I'm all Win2k now. I just had a 0 problem install of my Gateway laptop. First try everything, but the printer is working. Modem, network and all without special drivers. Impressive. Of course installation took about an hour and a half though mostly unattended.

At least network deployment is easy.