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The future of printing - Built in?

Jessica Lares

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Original poster
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,062
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
I was looking at my Canon Selphy right now and had this idea of hacking it into a desktop computer or a laptop (which I know won't fit, but still), it came to me thinking - How likely is it that we'll somehow see printers become part of the computer itself?

The printers are getting smaller, have screens of their own, and are even wifi based. Their mechanisms that do the work inside are pretty small too.

I think it'd be interesting to see a laptop with ink cartridges on the back, and somehow with new technology the paper wouldn't have to slide in, it'd just be pushed up and pop out on the other side. It'd still have the tray, which would take a few sheets of paper. It'd be in the bottom of course, all the hardware/hard drive at the top. HD would be flash based at this point.

The desktops would load from the back and the thing itself would be above the DVD drive or above the card slots.

The only real issue would be the paper jam, but I'd try and get the whole thing to be one piece of hardware to be one thing so the bottom lid would just be opened and it could be unhooked.

Would you think it'd be too complex for this to happen in 5 years or so? I like the idea of printing on the go, not having to load stuff on thumbdrives and look for someone with a working printer.

And I say put the ink to the side so it doesn't touch the hardware and get hot, etc.
 
Some manufacturers may try this but seriously, it sounds pretty useless. I don't want extra weight for my laptop so I could print something if needed. Seriously, I rarely print anything because I can send documents via email if needed.
 
Not practical at all for both desktops and laptops as the current laptop trend is stripping the laptop of features for more portability/better battery life, and how often do you need something printed when you aren't stationed? Repair expenses would also be off the roof for both desktops and laptops if they were built in and customized to fit in a case.

.00001% chance of this happening.
 
Hellhammer said:
Some manufacturers may try this but seriously, it sounds pretty useless. I don't want extra weight for my laptop so I could print something if needed. Seriously, I rarely print anything because I can send documents via email if needed.
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Same; I actually think physical copies of stuff is dying out, except for photos and all that - people tend to still have prints of those.
 
I'm pretty sure my grandpas windows 95 laptop had a black and white printer built into it. Like most laptops back then, it was pretty thick. The printer took 1 sheet at a time and was under the keyboard. Almost positive it was an IBM.

Now that I think about it, it could have been a scanner, still not far of a stretch if you look at some of the portable printers available.
 
Just what I need, my laptop getting a paper jam.

PC Load letter? What the **** does that mean?!
 
bobr1952 said:
The future of printing--obsolete...
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Just keeping thinking that. I have worked on a "paperless" job site before. On that "paperless" job site we went threw about a box of paper a week and burnt threw a toner cartage about every 2-3 months.

As for paper vs a computer screen. It is easier on human eyes to read on paper, we read faster on paper than a computer screen and have a much easier time tracking where we are on paper.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
Just keeping thinking that. I have worked on a "paperless" job site before. On that "paperless" job site we went threw about a box of paper a week and burnt threw a toner cartage about every 2-3 months.

As for paper vs a computer screen. It is easier on human eyes to read on paper, we read faster on paper than a computer screen and have a much easier time tracking where we are on paper.
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I guess it is just me then. I very seldom use my printer--most times if I need to "print" something, I print it as a pdf. I do most reading on my computer or iPhone--and have stopped mail delivery of statements from those who I do business with. I pay all my bills online. Maybe a paperless home is easier than a paperless office. ;)
 
bobr1952 said:
I guess it is just me then. I very seldom use my printer--most times if I need to "print" something, I print it as a pdf. I do most reading on my computer or iPhone--and have stopped mail delivery of statements from those who I do business with. I pay all my bills online. Maybe a paperless home is easier than a paperless office. ;)
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Oh that is so true. If it was not for school I would hardly print anything. I know the year I had a job I did not print much at home just things I need now and then to turn in somewhere.

As for school have to print out things about every week to turn in.
 
Rodimus Prime said:
As for school have to print out things about every week to turn in.
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Yeah, I have to do that as well :( It just gets shredded or throw away eventually anyway. I don't see the point.


You could probably make some pretty nasty malware/viruses that took advantage of a built in printer though, if there was one...
 
gan6660 said:
They have has this for over 100 years its called a typewriter.
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Someone told me this on Twitter too, :p. Actually, they just said "I already have one!" and posted a picture of a typewriter. :p.

I know how it is with the school papers, which is why I thought about it. So many kids complain that they can't print because they're out of ink/their printer is broken/etc.

Maybe not built in, but it could be an adapter of some sort you stick under the laptop to save desk space. That way Canon, Kodak, etc can make various ones for different sized machines or whatever. It'd make the repairs easier anyway.

I just like the idea of having a photoshoot, one of those Eye-Fi cards, Photoshop, then a printer like that. Such an easy process. I mean, most photographers just feed one piece of photo paper at a time anyway.

You can put a virus on anything these days.
 
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