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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,287
30,350


Many users of Apple's iOS devices were disappointed when Apple significantly scaled back the initial implementation of its AirPrint wireless, driverless printing service in iOS 4.2, limiting compatibility to direct printing to a handful of compatible printer models. With the reasons behind the scaling back remaining unclear and ranging from technical problems to patent issues, users have wondered whether Apple still has plans to allow for AirPrint functionality for other printer configurations such as printers shared through Macs and PCs as the feature had initially supported.


110945-jobs_airprint_email_500.jpg


One MacRumors forum member emailed Steve Jobs about the future of AirPrint and reportedly received reassurance from the Apple CEO that the company will be expanding the feature "soon". Jobs also noted the difficulty in deploying driverless printing, hinting at a need for patience as the company continues to push forward.
Q: You got me all hyped up about AirPrint. Now with iOS 4.2 released, I find out that I can only print on 11 select printers. Seriously?!

A: Lots more coming soon. It's what it takes to make a giant leap to driverless printing, which is huge.
Apple has detailed the AirPrint feature and listed the 11 HP printers currently compatible with the service on an iPad feature page.

Article Link: Steve Jobs on AirPrint: 'Lots More Coming Soon'
 

Compile 'em all

macrumors 601
Apr 6, 2005
4,130
323
Nothing to see here. It is how Apple always worked. Start with a small set of features but get them working really well. Then expand.
 

Daremo

macrumors 68020
Jul 3, 2007
2,176
307
Chicago
I just don't see the reason they removed it from 10.6.5, as it works flawlessly with the hack.
 

scotty321

macrumors regular
Jun 4, 2003
229
181
No worries. You can print to 100% of all printers on the market now, by simply installing this excellent $10 utility on your Mac:

Printopia

I love Ecamm, the company that makes Printopia... I think I own every one of their software products.
 

Daveoc64

macrumors 601
Jan 16, 2008
4,074
92
Bristol, UK
No worries. You can print to 100% of all printers on the market now, by simply installing this excellent $10 utility on your Mac:


I love Ecamm, the company that makes Printopia... I think I own every one of their software products.

What if your printer isn't connected to a Mac?

Why pay for something that should be free - and that Apple could pull support for in the next release of iOS?
 

Fanboyofnothing

macrumors member
Oct 25, 2010
60
0
It's not driverless printing. The drivers are simply loaded into the device already. Love the shell game that Steve attempts to play. Perhaps he fools idiots with it, not sure.
 

3282868

macrumors 603
Jan 8, 2009
5,281
0
iOS Developer 4.2 GM

Seems my iOS 4.2 Developer IPSW prints to my Epson printers (including an old Stylus Photo 1240) and a new Epson WiFi N. I don't buy the driver issue, there is something else amiss.

It's not driverless printing. The drivers are simply loaded into the device already. Love the shell game that Steve attempts to play. Perhaps he fools idiots with it, not sure.

Where are these "drivers" stored? If you are referring to the Mac itself that does not directly effect AirPrint. The iOS 4.2.x and 10.6.5 work together for this feature, however Jobs himself and others have mentioned that it would be better if printers came with their own drivers ON the printer itself. Having a small SSD or such installed in the printer would be the way to go.
 
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CptnJustc

macrumors 6502
Jan 19, 2007
310
151
Steve's poor little thumbs must be tired from tapping out all these responses on his iPhone. I hope somebody gets him a MacBook Air for Christmas.
 

rwilliams

macrumors 68040
Apr 8, 2009
3,740
1,006
Raleigh, NC
You got me all hyped up about AirPrint. Now with iOS 4.2 released, I find out that I can only print on 11 select printers. Seriously?!

That's how this person addresses the CEO of a major corporation? Just because you see him during presentations and he answers his email from time to time doesn't mean that you address him like he's your pal. He's not. Show some respect, people.

Now, as for AirPrint - seeing as how it's worked flawlessly for me since applying the workaround (as well as many other forum members), I'm really curious as to exactly why it was pulled.
 

fehhkk

macrumors 6502a
Jun 11, 2009
728
202
Chicago, IL
I was expecting Airprint to work over Bonjour to any printer connected via an Airport Extreme. Disappointing first version.
 

azentropy

macrumors 601
Jul 19, 2002
4,012
5,352
Surprise
Hopefully he didn't just mean "Lots more printers coming soon" I don't want to buy new printers, I want it to work with my current printers like it did in Beta.
 

Daveoc64

macrumors 601
Jan 16, 2008
4,074
92
Bristol, UK
That's how this person addresses the CEO of a major corporation? Just because you see him during presentations and he answers his email from time to time doesn't mean that you address him like he's your pal. He's not. Show some respect, people.

He doesn't show his customers any respect in his responses.

He replies with short and often offensive comments.
 

RoboCop001

macrumors 68000
Oct 4, 2005
1,561
451
Toronto, Canada
All this tells me is that there's more AirPrint capable printers coming soon, like the current HP ones.

The way the question and answer are worded doesn't address the shared printing, in my opinion.
 

ECUpirate44

macrumors 603
Mar 22, 2010
5,750
8
NC
Steve's poor little thumbs must be tired from tapping out all these responses on his iPhone. I hope somebody gets him a MacBook Air for Christmas.

Maybe hes using one of these!
 

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NT1440

macrumors G5
May 18, 2008
14,445
20,387
That's how this person addresses the CEO of a major corporation? Just because you see him during presentations and he answers his email from time to time doesn't mean that you address him like he's your pal. He's not. Show some respect, people.
Why the hell should anyone give a CEO any more respect than a guy you bump into at a coffee shop?

They aren't gods just because they have a ton of money.
 

jaw04005

macrumors 601
Aug 19, 2003
4,513
400
AR
Sounds like Apple has pulled the iOS printer sharing feature out of Mac OS X for good in order to put pressure on the printer companies to support iOS natively.

This was a strategic decision.

Why does everything with Apple have to be a battle? :rolleyes: Most of our printers are connected directly to our Mac and PCs anyway. iOS printer sharing would have been the simpliest way to address this issue.

Very few are going to purchase a new printer just to print from their iPads.
 
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