Laplink

LapLink for Windows screenshot

Laplink (sometimes styled LapLink) is a proprietary software that was developed by Mark Eppley and sold by Traveling Software.[1] First available in 1983,[1] LapLink was used to synchronize, copy, or move, files between two PCs, in an era before local area networks, using the parallel port and a LapLink cable or serial port and a null modem cable[2][3][4] or USB and a USB ad hoc network cable. Traveling Software is now known as LapLink Software, Inc.,[5] and their main software is now the PCmover.

Cable

LapLink typically shipped with a specialized cable, allowing two PCs computers to be linked together via the parallel port, establishing a direct cable connection. This so-called LapLink cable or null-parallel cable is capable of faster transfer rates than the traditional null modem serial cable. At the time, almost all PCs had a parallel printer port, but neither USB nor modern Ethernet was available.

A Laplink cable can be seen as a parallel equivalent to a serial null modem cable. Because of the higher bandwidth of the parallel port versus the serial port, a Laplink cable is able to transfer data more quickly.

The Interlnk program on MS-DOS can also use the Laplink cable.

With the demise of parallel ports on PCs, Laplink no longer sells the traditional cable.[6]

Wiring

The cable used two DB25 male connectors, and was wired as below:

D0 2 15 Error
D1 3 13 Select
D2 4 12 Paper Out
D3 5 10 ACK
D4 6 11 Busy
ACK 10 5 D3
Busy 11 6 D4
Paper Out 12 4 D2
Select 13 3 D1
Error 15 2 D0
Select In 17 19 GND
GND 18 18 GND
GND 19 17 Select In
GND 21 21 GND
GND 22 22 GND
GND 23 23 GND
GND 25 25 GND

See also

References

  1. ^ Traveling Software (14 February 1989). "Why Lap-Link Has Connected Over 200,000 Computers". PC Magazine. Vol. 8, no. 3. Ziff Davis, Inc. p. 92. ISSN 0888-8507.
  2. ^ Bem Cotterman (8 November 1994). "Laplink for Windows Takes Controls of Remote PC's". PC Magazine. Vol. 13, no. 19. Ziff Davis, Inc. p. 52. ISSN 0888-8507.
  3. ^ Steve Rigney (17 November 1998). "Access Your Office PC". PC Magazine. Vol. 17, no. 20. Ziff Davis. p. 73.
  4. ^ "About us", laplink.com
  5. ^ "Laplink Easy Transfer Cable For Windows® - Laplink® Software". www.laplink.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-19.