[WinMac] ARA & USB/Ethernet/Localtalk ??'s

Marlan(marlan[at]sasquatch.com)
Thu, 3 Dec 98 22:06:28 -0800

Hi All,

A While back, I shared with the list that our church had decided to go
with a Pentium system running NT 4.0 but that they were allowing me to
bring a quote on a comparable Mac System.

 I shared with you how I wanted what was best for the church but didn't
want any hassles and knew the Mac side of things, but didn't know NT 4.0
or the PC side and that the Secretary was using the Mac primarily for her
work.

I also shared how we were trying to have the system be able to be
networked to my G3Powerbook and also enable dial-ins remotely.

Thankyou for all your help. I printed out every single email that you
sent and brought a huge sheaf of papers to our next committee meeting.
The comments of those of you who maintained both systems were especially
helpful.

After wrestling with these issues, the committee decided to cut costs,
and not go with a full server system. They decided they would go with a
Mac system to be compatible with me and with the Secretary's expertise,
but that we would keep peripherals cross-platform if we would move that
way in the future. (I would be happy to share the details with anyone
who would like to know more of the process of deciding)

Now that that is decided, I have two more questions:

1) Has anyone used ARA server? Can I just buy that software and install
it and anyone who has the client can dial in? I'm planning on using it
since I"ve done so before. (BTW, I also will have Timbuktu--but it seems
that ARA is faster because it doesn't have to redraw the screen? --Also
the client is built in to MacOS 8.5 so there's no extra cost?) If a
Window's user wants to dial in, is there a version of ARA that is
cross-platform or will they need to use PCMacLan?

2) We'd like to run Ethernet in our network with a hub, but we currently
have a localtalk Laserprinter and want to buy an Epson 850. (Does that
come with USB?? Can I get *one* device that will connect to both
printers, one through localtalk, and the other through USB, and ALSO
connect to the Ethernet Network. How does all of that work. ARe there
boxes that have three different kind of ports on them, localtalk,
ethernet, and USB, and can you just plug and play and have them all work?
We're trying to avoid spending an extra $350 just to make the different
devices talk to one another.

Marlan Knittel

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| ...and on the 7th Day, God turned off His Macintosh |
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