Apple Branded Printserver?
Get this:
I walk into the house with my mobile and sit down on the couch to do a little surfing. I find something I'd like to print, so I have to get up and walk over to the printer on my other machine and unplug the USB cable from it and plug it into my laptop.
It sucks.
I have an HP printer, and so I looked at the print servers that they offer on their website.
Baffling.
I have no idea how difficult it is to set up and maintain a printer on my network. I do know that HP says that my printer will lose functionality to the SmartMedia and CompactFlash readers that are built-in, should I attempt to run Apple's USB Printer Sharing Control Panel. But I've just gotten started on exploring this stuff.
Anyway.
With Airport as a big pimp-out technology, don't you think that Apple should develop a SUPER EASY way to do this?
I do.
D
I walk into the house with my mobile and sit down on the couch to do a little surfing. I find something I'd like to print, so I have to get up and walk over to the printer on my other machine and unplug the USB cable from it and plug it into my laptop.
It sucks.
I have an HP printer, and so I looked at the print servers that they offer on their website.
Baffling.
I have no idea how difficult it is to set up and maintain a printer on my network. I do know that HP says that my printer will lose functionality to the SmartMedia and CompactFlash readers that are built-in, should I attempt to run Apple's USB Printer Sharing Control Panel. But I've just gotten started on exploring this stuff.
Anyway.
With Airport as a big pimp-out technology, don't you think that Apple should develop a SUPER EASY way to do this?
I do.
D
Comments
I use it all the time.
Printing over airport to my iMac that has a USB printer attached.
MSKR
(oops meant "printer" sharing
[ 02-03-2002: Message edited by: Masker ]</p>
I thoroughly believe that this feature is SEVERELY underplayed by Apple. It is SUPER sexy to be able to surf and print without wires. Surfing is ready to go when you get your Airport card set up.....I think that wireless printing is a killer feature that deserves some promotion and some EZ setup help from Apple. Sure, it's easy to setup if you know what you're doing, but what if the concept of wireless printing never occured to you?
It's a feature in need of more promotion and would make a GREAT commercial for the Mac.
D
Imagine cruising into the local record store and downloading sample songs (probably clips) into your iPod.
I would also like to see wireless printers that do not require a wired printer connection.
"Airport printer sharing anyone?"
MSKR
It would be nice to have a "pimped-out" laptop that could print using USB printer sharing.
Sure, not everyone uses Airport for their home network, but I think that a smart print server would be a terrific solution for many folks and Apple should be continue to lead the charge for wireless home-networking.
What if you only had one computer? Then USB Printer Share is useless to you, it requires two computers: one to share its printer and another to "borrow" that printer. So there you are with only one computer, forced to go back and plug in your printer to get hardcopy.
Things change when you begin to discuss the needs of multiple computers, say at a small business. But a real argument could be made toward the creation of an easy-to-use Airport-savvy print server.
It wouldn't take a very big internal drive to act as a print queue, especially if you spool off of your own machine(s). They could be small, good-looking and easy to install into your Airport network. They'd be hip to the network and very easy to set up and maintain.
Just a thought.
- airport FAX station (modem + mini server)
- airport HIGH SPEED internet (DSL or Cable mobem integrated + mini Hub)
- airport PRINT SERVER
- modular airport File and Web server (one base module with logic, expandable storage capacity, mini ethernet Hub)
- others...
All this being plug and play : making a complete network for the rest of us<strong>
What if you only had one computer? Then USB Printer Share is useless to you, it requires two computers: one to share its printer and another to "borrow" that printer. So there you are with only one computer, forced to go back and plug in your printer to get hardcopy.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Apple should not be the maker of this. airport compatibility should be left to printer manufacturers. Both HP and Epson have Airport (802.11b) enabled printers and print servers. no need for apple to make one
Some people need their hands held, especially if they don't understand that a certain technology exists. Apple should indeed take advantage of the bully pulpit of Airport. Talk to your average computer user and they'd be amazed to know that they could print wirelessly to a printer and they'd be turned off if you tried to explain what they'd need to buy to make that setup work for them.
So, the fact that the other manufacturers offer a solution shouldn't be the only factor in determining whether Apple should be dipping their toe into that market. What matters is the bottom line...cost/benefit ratio, stuff like that.
D
<strong>And Rio and Intel make MP3 players.....what's your point?
Some people need their hands held, especially if they don't understand that a certain technology exists. Apple should indeed take advantage of the bully pulpit of Airport. Talk to your average computer user and they'd be amazed to know that they could print wirelessly to a printer and they'd be turned off if you tried to explain what they'd need to buy to make that setup work for them.
So, the fact that the other manufacturers offer a solution shouldn't be the only factor in determining whether Apple should be dipping their toe into that market. What matters is the bottom line...cost/benefit ratio, stuff like that.
D</strong><hr></blockquote>
what the hell do you think Apple could add to a ****ing wireless print server? it either prints or it doesn't. it doesn't get much more involved than that. there is no incentives for apple making their own when epsona and hp have invested in their own and they do the job the same exact way an apple one would do. apple can't offer an advantage here. it either prints or it doesn't
If production costs vs. profit margins are unattractive then Apple will stay out. But they should add a page to their website showcasing how great the technology is that allows you to do wireless printing with either two computers (USB print share) or a printserver (third party or Apple-branded). Work out a deal with Epson or HP and sell them from the Apple Store if they decide not to fab and sell one themselves. Essentially, get the word out that the technology exists, is easy to set up and runs great on a Mac. Again, who knows how profitable this market might be...that's what will determine the likelihood of a product emerging in that arena.
Upon consideration I see that the idea of home-servers is particularly relevant to the growing sophistication of the consumer market. Home servers are not entirely an unlikely product development. Thus, a home print-server, MP3 server, video server, storage and such device is possible. I'm sure not going to hold my breath to see Apple release something like that though. I doubt that consumers are ready (in sufficiently profitable numbers) for such a product, regardless of how simple it might be to engineer and fabricate.
But then.....what do you suppose they're doing with those Cubes?
<strong>The whole Airport thing should definitely be separatred in different pieces, leading to a wireless network :
- airport FAX station (modem + mini server)
- airport HIGH SPEED internet (DSL or Cable mobem integrated + mini Hub)
- airport PRINT SERVER
- modular airport File and Web server (one base module with logic, expandable storage capacity, mini ethernet Hub)
- others...
All this being plug and play : making a complete network for the rest of usThis actually sounds pretty cool... I mean think of a fax machine/scanner that you could put anywhere, it just needs to be plugged in to a phone line and power cord...(well that part isnt so good) and it will be a stand alone fax/printer/scanner for the computer, wirelessly over airport and then a cable/dsl/router/hub/airport base station that performed all of those functions in one unit both of these things would be cool. but they WILL NOT came from apple... there is no need. Apple IS NOT going to go into the printer buisness... the file server thing is a little out there as you could juat hook up a F/W drive to a computer and share it... the Hub on the other hand would be cool, but once again, apple will not make it, the closest they will come is the new airport base station with 2 Base10T ports and modem...... cool ideas tho..
<strong>Personally I'd love to see the whole airport technology miniaturized so it could be implemented into say .. an iPod.
Imagine cruising into the local record store and downloading sample songs (probably clips) into your iPod.</strong><hr></blockquote>
It already is. Haven't you seen any of the several 802.11b PC cards that are out there?
but this machine is definitly very capable, and with a added memory, a different operating system (now it's running karlbridge) and some more ports (the cpu has the support for them already, it's only the physical ports lacking) it could do print serving, fax serving and a lot more without any problem...
anyone wants to develop something ;-)
(i'll help as good as i can)
<strong>
It already is. Haven't you seen any of the several 802.11b PC cards that are out there?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I guess miniaturized is the wrong word/phrase.
I just wish the airport technology could be integrated into already small packages like the iPod. A wireless PC card is worthless to an iPod and there aren't many elegant PC card capable PDA/MP3 players that I know of.
SO I am suggesting the addition of this into the iPod via something other than adding an additional 3/8 inch thickness to it.
MSKR