Editing Parallel port (section)

==Current use==
For consumers, [[USB]] and [[computer network]]s have replaced the parallel printer port, for connections both to printers and to other devices.

Many manufacturers of personal computers and laptops consider parallel to be a [[legacy port]] and no longer include the parallel interface. Smaller machines have less room for large parallel port connectors.  USB-to-parallel adapters are available that can make  parallel-only printers work with USB-only systems.
There are PCI (and PCI-express) cards that provide parallel ports. There are also some [[print server]]s that provide an interface to parallel ports through a network. USB-to-EPP chips can also allow other non-printer devices to continue to work on modern computers without a parallel port.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myweb.polyu.edu.hk/~06900664r/ch341epp.htm|title=Parallel port flatbed scanner works under USB on Win9x (Archive)|access-date=2012-06-30|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630214557/http://myweb.polyu.edu.hk/~06900664r/ch341epp.htm|archive-date=2012-06-30}}</ref>

For electronics hobbyists the parallel port is still often the easiest way to connect to an external circuit board. It is faster than the other common legacy port (serial port), requires no serial-to-parallel converter, and requires far less interface logic and software than a USB target interface. However, Microsoft operating systems later than Windows 95/98 prevent user programs from directly writing to or reading from the LPT without additional software (kernel extensions).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.logix4u.net/parallel-port/16-inpout32dll-for-windows-982000ntxp |title=Inpout32.DLL for Windows 98/2000/NT/XP |access-date=2014-03-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314200553/http://www.logix4u.net/parallel-port/16-inpout32dll-for-windows-982000ntxp |archive-date=2014-03-14 }}</ref>

[[Milling (machining)|CNC Milling Machines]] also often make use of the parallel port to directly control the machine's motors and attachments, especially with [[LinuxCNC]] OS.