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I had a Minolta Dimage Multi Scanner several years ago. If I remember correctly, it required a multi-pin serial connection cable which you're not likely to find on a laptop or even current desktops. I recall trying an adapter to work with another computer connection, but it failed miserably. So, the short answer to your question, no.
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I used to keep an old Macintosh G4 desktop computer with a SCSI (or was it SCSI-2?) card and Viewscan software around just for the purpose of using it with a scanner similar to yours. You can find a similar computer and SCSI card on eBay for not much money. But, like William says, you won't find a laptop that will run it.
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After far too much time wasted trying to get my old Minolta Scan Dual 4 to run on Windows 7, I ordered a new scanner this weekend.

Vue Scan wouldn’t load correctly twice in a row despite all efforts, 2 new cables, many software download install and uninstall attempts.

Got it to work three times, each time it locked up after one partial scan. Same problems with Silverfast and the original Minolta software.

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From what I can determine, the Dimage Multi has a FireWire 400 interface, as does my Nikon LS-8000. My Lenovo Thinkpad has a FW400 port which works very well with the LS-8000, Silverfast AI 8 and Windows 7. I haven't tried it yet on an Apple MacBook, but I have a USB3 to FW800 dongle which works well with FW audio gear dating to about the same period as the Dimage.

 

FW cards for a PC are inexpensive ($20), but don't always work with the Nikon. The card must have a Texas Instruments chip, and in Win7 or above, you must select a "Legacy" FW driver. The MBP is plug-and-play seamless. The Nikon scanner came with a bare-bones FW card, which is the only one recommended by Nikon. I never had to use it.

 

FW800 is backwards compatible with FW400. All it takes is a cable with a matching connector on each end.

 

For your reference, I've done a lot of work perfecting the use of a digital camera to "scan" and convert color negatives. Slides are a piece of cake. You need a macro lens capable of 1:1 magnification and a film holder, such as a Nikon ES-1 (slides only) or ES-2 (slides and film strips). I use Silverfast HDR for the conversion.

 

Scanning Color Negatives With a Camera

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When I look up specifications for a "Minolta Dimage Scanner Multi", at Digital Film Scanners - Minolta Dimage Scan Multi Film Scanner Review, Information, and Specifications

it states,

 

"Interface to the host computer is via a high-speed SCSI-2 interface, meaning you'll need to have such a port installed in your computer to use it. (Older Macs typically came equipped with SCSI connections: On the new Blue G3 Macs and Windows machines, you'll need to have an interface card installed."

 

Newer models, such as the Minolta Scan Dual 4, mentioned above, should have Firewire connection.

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The unit came with the cable (different brand) illustrated in the picture. Ed himself had me connect to USB 2 then 3.

Then I bought a newer shorter cable. I haven’t used FireWire since I first started editing video tape.

 

Minolta Scan Dual IV Driver for Windows 10, macOS & more | VueScan

 

Scroll down and look at the chart.....

 

“If you have problems with this scanner hanging, try replacing the USB cable with a newer USB cable, preferably a shorter one. This scanner came with a low-quality USB cable, and is also sensitive to USB timing on faster computers.”

Edited by Moving On
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Yes, I think at that point, (swapping everything around) it was simply a matter of desperate elimination.....

 

“This scanner came with a low-quality USB cable, and is also sensitive to USB timing on faster computers.”

 

Like I say his final verdict was “something’s broken”.

I suspect some incompatibility between the software and something installed on my desktop.

After quite a bit of digging I found others having the identical problem.

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Like Glenn, I've kept an older computer just to serve a series of older scanners. This also has the advantage of letting the original scanning software work, if the OS is of the same vintage.

 

Older computers with the software still on them can be had for very low prices, probably less in total than fancy converters.

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I wasn't trying to draw a red herring about interfaces. In the span between the year 2000 and 2004, film scanners evolved from SCSI to Firewire to USB. I responded using the best information I could find on the "Multi" model.

 

Having "evolved" (backslideen) form PC to Mac a couple of years ago, I run Win7 in a Parallels partition. Given enough memory and disk space, Parallels/Win7 runs Windows applications very well. It is less proficient on using hardware. USB runs fine in general, but I can't wrest control of an USB CD burner away from the Mac side. Perhaps Bootstrap would work better, more independently. With Parallels, however, I can share data and hard drives from both sides of the fence. It is the only way I can use an inkjet CD printer. I doubt I could install and run an XP partition.

 

Keeping an older PC on hand for such contingencies is probably the simplest approach.

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Swapping hard drives or creating a new partition on the rood drive may not be necessary. External drives connected via an eSATA port (PC) or Thunderbolt (Mac) are treated the same as internal drives. When booting a PC, you have the option of which drive to select. I haven't tried it, but I expect that Bootcamp works in a similar fashion for Mac.
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