You can now print wirelessly from certain Apple devices, such as the iPhone, iTouch or iPad. It’s a feature that Apple has introduced in its IOS 4.2.1 update. Right now, AirPrint works right out of the box with printers that are AirPrint-enabled.
What is AirPrint?
AirPrint will enable users to print wirelessly from select apps – no set up or downloads required. Users will be able to automatically find a printer on their wireless network and print to it.
What if I don’t have an AirPrint-enabled printer?
MAC solutions only.
Printopia: http://ecamm.com/mac/printopia
FingerPrint: http://www.collobos.com
The problem with Printopia and FingerPrint is that you must have your computer turned on at all times. To me, that defeats the whole purpose. I am usually trying to print from my iPhone because my computer is turned off. Luckily for me, I have a server that is always on, but I’m sure that is not the case for most of you out there.
Printopia:
I purchased and installed Printopia and it works perfectly. It took me less than a minute to install. All I had to do was install the program, enable printer sharing and choose which printer(s) I wanted to share (system preferences).
HP teamed up with Apple exclusively to create this wireless experience. I expect all the other printer manufacturers to hop on the AirPrint bandwagon in the near future.
What types of files am I able to print?
– email
– photos
– web pages
– documents
What is the difference between Apple’s AirPrint and HP’s ePrint?
Apple’s AirPrint allows iPhone, iPad and iPod touch customers to print wirelessly to a local printer on their wireless network through an embedded OS print function. HP ePrint allows for printing from anywhere in the world from any mobile device to an HP ePrint enabled printer using the HP cloud – that means the customer can attach a file or document to an email and send it to the printer’s individual email address.
I hope this cleared up a few questions that you had regarding AirPrint and ePrint, or I apologize for confusing you even more. 😉
iPhone: http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/airprint.html
iTouch: http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/features/airprint.html
iPad AirPrint: http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/airprint.html
HP AirPrint: http://www.hp.com/sbso/printing/mac/hp-airprint.html