Apple has applied for a couple of patents that will change printing as we know it. It will no longer require a device to have print drivers for any printer, but using a system that may include iCloud, you can print from any device, to any printer that is available. Assuming it is done wirelessly, you would be able to take your iPad, iPhone, etc, and go to any printer near you, and print off something effortlessly. Lots of questions and I would imagine it will take time to be universal, but the potential is great.

Angry mode ON

This whole iPad to Printer connection business is so utterly ridiculous.

The Camera Connection Kit has a USB Port, why not utilise this so you can print to ANY USB printer, don't tell me it can't be done.

I have a HP H470 wireless (Bluetooth) portable printer and the iPad has Bluetooth, Why can't they talk to each other ?

Angry mode OFF


Paul W. H

Originally Posted by Paul W. H

I have a HP H470 wireless (Bluetooth) portable printer and the iPad has Bluetooth, Why can't they talk to each other ?

Printer Drivers

The path Apple does not wish to start down is the horror show around today's printer driver nightmare..

They support Air Print today, which sits on top of HPs ePrint protocol. If your H470 does not support ePrint, complain to HP.

HP made the protocol public without any license fees. With the volume of iOS devices on the market, smart manufacturers will add ePrint support.

If the other wireless device manufacturers would adopt it, we might see universal wireless printing supported with an open standard rather than having to deal with hundreds of different printer drivers...

-t

Originally Posted by thewitt

Printer Drivers

The path Apple does not wish to start down is the horror show around today's printer driver nightmare..

They support Air Print today, which sits on top of HPs ePrint protocol. If your H470 does not support ePrint, complain to HP.

HP made the protocol public without any license fees. With the volume of iOS devices on the market, smart manufacturers will add ePrint support.

If the other wireless device manufacturers would adopt it, we might see universal wireless printing supported with an open standard rather than having to deal with hundreds of different printer drivers...

-t

Yup. Once again Apple twisting arms and driving the market their way.

No real arm twisting, but if you are a supplier and you want your devices to play with iOS, you will move toward the ePrint protocol...

No one is forcing anyone to be iOS compatible.

-t

The Apple patent application sounds a lot like HP ePrint which operates by emailing documents, as attachments to a unique email address @hpeprint.com. The print job is then sent to your printer over the Internet.

I haven't seen the patent application but printing via iCloud sounds similar so I wonder how they can patent the idea. Perhaps they won't be using email to send the documents to iCloud.

AirPrint seems to be something that was added to ePrint that bypassess the email/Internet route.

Again one of the main aims is to avoid the need for printer divers, no doubt a good thing. I find it useful because it makes it easier to print documents when I am at home on the company VPN, which won't allow me to connect direct to the printer.

My understanding is that the patent is for a standard method that either eliminates the drivers, or sets a protocol for all printers. Beyond me how it would work. The use of cloud printing is only one of the potential means that it could be done, not a part of the patent per se. I think the big advantage to this is to go to any printer and not have to load any drivers, and print instantly. For example, if I take my MBP or iPad when I visit my Dad, I can use his LG printer without problems.

The big question is usb or no usb. A lot of printers are still usb or ethernet only. I expect that many will be adaptable with a dongle to run wirelessly, but they could also be set up to run wireless from a wifi hub. Apple is pushing to do more and more wireless connections. And the computer world is moving to that setup. Very few people use wired keyboards and mouse setups. And home ethernet systems are not always very popular, even when they are usually faster. Wires limit and people are hesitant to install ethernet even when building a new house because they fear that even that technology could be dropped.

Originally Posted by RAC

AirPrint seems to be something that was added to ePrint that bypassess the email/Internet route.

AirPrint is exactly that. It's a layer on top of ePrint that avoids the need to email a document to the printer.

It's to bad that the ePrint protocol has not been more widely adopted.

-t

HP's iPrint App is advertised as a way to print to a HP printer that is on WiFi but not Airprint enabled. Trouble is, it does not work (at least for me, after several weeks of trying).

Interesting thread,

I have both a Cannon and a Brother MFC attached by WiFi. I have apps for both to print direct.

As long as printer makers make these apps is that not the same thing in effect?

If I go into say a hotel, cafe or business, I'd have to have the WiFi key to access their printers, while I can see advantages for their own staff not many want to support an outsiders printer needs for free.

so i wonder if it comes about, will it become a value added service like WiFi, but where you pay per page as with photo copy print shops etc.

How would you stop pranksters printing unsuitable pictures once they have access?