printing off an old Mac IIsi

Hi,

To begin with, take a look at the Personal LaserWriter 300 manual in order to check whether you have missed something:

http://manuals.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/printers/0303858APERSLW300UG.PDF

For example, with a direct connection, make sure that AppleTalk is not enabled.

Which operating system version do you have on the Macintosh IIsi?

If you cannot make the Personal LaserWriter work, I agree with Limnos, try to move your files to another (more modern) computer, and print from there. What do you have to work with? Another Mac or PC? Exact models and operating systems? Access to another computer with a built-in floppy drive? A USB external floppy drive? A Zip (100) drive? An old serial modem for the IIsi?

If necessary, it is possible to create PDF files on the Macintosh IIsi, and then transfer these.

https://www.jwwalker.com/pages/pdf.html

It has been at least 15 years since i used anything pre-OSX so I am not sure how much this would bridge the gap. I have sharing set up between a computer running Leopard and Mavericks and it works.

You're basically doing as instructed here: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-ethernet-to-connect-two-mac-computers-mchlp1413/mac

However I don't know what this would look like on the old Mac's end since i can't even remember the menu layout from back then! :-) Network sharing has been around for a long time but maybe there's protocol things that might not get across.

I can't provide specifics as to other solutions. It may be possible, for example, to connect the old Mac via Ethernet and use a mail application to email the files, or at least the text, to yourself and then download on the newer Mac.

Hello again,

You can see the supported operating systems in the Macintosh IIsi: Technical Specifications. Which exact system version are you using?

In order to use a TCP/IP connection via Ethernet, something like System 7.5 or higher should be installed (apart from the required network card). "Normal" file sharing with a modern Mac would not be possible because of operating system differences, but FTP can be used.

The external hard drive that you mentioned would be SCSI, which is difficult to connect to more modern computers.

The old serial modem could possibly be useful. Do you have an already installed (or available on floppies) communications program for the IIsi? This could be a separate terminal emulation utility with file transfer abilities (http://www.nic.funet.fi/index/mac/info-mac/comm/term/), or the communications section of ClarisWorks. Do you have one or two public telephone lines (landline connection)?

I would instead see if there is some way to get the files off onto a modern computer, then convert the file if necessary and print from there.

You may be able to share files even between two very different generation Macs over an Ethernet connection. If you are interested in that we can provide details.