I just noticed that the latest printer that we bought (Brother HO-L5000D) came with an odd cable (matching an odd connector on the printer). On one end, there was the conventional-since-the-IBM-PC DB25M connector. On the other end, there was a 3-row, 26-pin mail D connector. I don't remember seeing this connector before. When did this get invented? I don't think that I've noticed it before. (Parallel ports for printers are pretty much replaced by USB these days. I do have antique computers that are pre-USB but I don't print from them.) Why did this get invented? Was this to prevent serial/parallel confusion? I do remember being annoyed at IBM selecting the DB25 instead of using the industry-standard "Centronics" connector because serial and parallel could so easily get mixed up. I will probably save the cable forever. I'll probably never use it. If I need to, I'll probably be unable to find where I've stored it.