Macworld dishes on AirPrint iOS printing
Today's release of the iOS 4.2 beta has given developers their first hands-on look at AirPrint, which will allow wireless printing from iOS devices. Macworld has published some details.Dan Moren reports that users will be able to print text, photos, and graphics to networked printers without having to fiddle with drivers, special software, or network configurations. Also, it seems like the list of compatible printers is long, though details are still sketchy. Moren says that AirPrint will support printers shared via a Mac or a PC, and it will also handle various types of printing devices, from low-cost inkjets up to office laser printers. Additionally, HP will soon release a new line of printers with their "ePrint" feature that will offer, among other things, support for AirPrint.
Users have been waiting for an official print solution from Apple, and in the meantime, several third-party apps have appeared on the App Store. I'm eager to try it out myself, and I'm looking forward to the official release of iOS 4.2 in November.
Share
Categories
Today's release of the iOS 4.2 beta has given developers their first hands-on look at AirPrint, which will allow wireless printing from iOS...
Add a Comment
Surely the issue is where are the printer driver(s)? I can think of two ways to print, have every app output a PDF, send this to the network Mac which will then transform it into the archaic language of whatever printer you have - USB or WiFi, or second have all those pesky printer drivers on your iPhone/iPad taking up a lot of space, or may be just downloading the ones you need?
It will be interesting to see what Apple comes up with. For me I want to see a universal printing solution, via a Mac, via an Airport Express or direct to networked printers... Which means having the drivers on the iPhone/iPad...
The print drivers are either (A) on the mac, share your printer, it shows up on the IOS4.2 device, or (B) use a new special printer (as you can read, only new Dell printers so far on on the ball) -- this will utilize a unified printer driver which is already on the 4.2 ios bypassing the PC/MAC "middleman". I have a xerox phaser, and after turning on printer sharing on the mac (while on the same wifi network) prints via the mac flawlessly.
Phil Schiller: “iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users can simply tap to print their documents or photos wirelessly to an HP ePrint printer or to a printer shared on a Mac or PC.â€
The second part of that sentence seems to indicate that printers on your local area network will work - that should include printers hooked to AirPort/Time Capsules. If it doesn't, I will be hella mad.
I disagree. It seems to exclude printing to airport devices, as a printer attached to an airport is not shared ON a mac or PC but shared WITH, instead.
I will be very disappointed if they do not allow airport printing, however. It will be interesting if they tout wireless printing on the airport but don't allow one of their own wireless devices to print to it.
Sharing via AirPort Printers does pose one issue; drivers.
AirPort only shares a standard TCP/IP Port, the OS still needs Printer Drivers to create a compatible data stream.
Unless the Printer supports a common page layout standard like PostScript, PCL, PDF or RLE Bitmaps, Apple would have to find a way to shoehorn GIMPPrint into the AirPort Firmware.
I'm also concerned over AirPlay compatibility with existing AirTunes devices. With AirPort Expresses and existing TV's be able to stream Audio? What about Video, since Apple have said that old TV's are at end-of-life.
How about my simple USB printer shared from my Time Capsule?
September 15 2010 at 4:15 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOk, great, but will my Dell printer be one of the ones that work?
September 15 2010 at 3:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhat of printers connected via Airport Express? Is Apple's own method of "wireless printing for non-wireless printers" supported by AirPrint? Hope so!
September 15 2010 at 3:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAssuming my Canon Pixma printer is supported I'll have found a use for my 12" PB as a print server. Of course AirPrint would be infinitely more useful for me from my MacBook.
September 15 2010 at 3:27 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyActually... That probably won't happen. If you really do have a PowerBook (with a PowerPC processor), you won't be able to run Mac OS X 10.6, which I believe is required for AirPrint.
November 09 2010 at 10:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyDeals of the Day
more deals- Cases for New iPad at HandHeldItems: Extra 20% off, $2 credit, from $3 + $3 s&h
- $15 Apple iTunes Gift Card for $8 for new Saveology customers
- Philips Fidelio Docking Speaker Station for iPhone / iPod for $38 + $6 s&h
- Retro 80's Case for iPhone for $11 + $2 s&h
- HHI 360 Dual-View Stand Case for new iPad w/ $2 credit for $12 + $3 s&h
- HHI ReElegant Smart Cover Companion Case for new iPad from $5 + $3 s&h
Software Updates
more updatesFeatured Stories
more stories
Popular Stories
TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
10 Comments