Apple Aiming to Eliminate Printer Drivers
Apple has filed two patents that could hint to the company's intent to get rid of printer drivers.
Apple has three ways of enabling printing without drivers, with a focus on compact mobile devices. The first is a simple, Google-like cloud-print solution. A second model targets a universal printer access via a discovery protocol and expanded network printing protocol (as well as support for postscript printer description files). The third model relies on traditional printer drivers. The entire concept is described as walkup printing, a term that is already marketed by Xerox.
The cloud model is questionable as Google is providing such capability via Chrome and Chrome OS, but the use of Bonjour as discovery protocol as well as IPP as network printing protocol (npp) are interesting approaches
In another patent, mentions a new document-format-preferred key, “which enables the printer to specify a ‘preferred’ document format out of all of the document formats that are supported by the printer” as well as a new “URF-supported key.” This URF key can be used to provide printer configuration data, such as supported bit depths, maximum copies, supported duplex printing, specific finishings such as stapling, and media types. The patent notes that the key can be added to Bonjour and to the transport protocol “as a new printer description attribute for the IPP protocol.”
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The third model relies on traditional printer drivers
That will happen. Not in the next 5 years... but maybe 20... if we're still here.
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The third model relies on traditional printer drivers
Nope, never happen
Stole great idea and label them under our logo!
Create zombies followers, brainless since no body care from where thoses ideas come from. Anyway Apple always do it better. Rebrand 20 years old technologies under a brand new idea, be flashy. Apple create every awesome technologies! Apple make $$$ from that. No common standard, anyway other companies will have pay to follow Apple standard! Because Apple is so SMART!
Stole great idea from App store, change policy when other become too big. Create the same thing and claim "You can't publish this App anymore, Apple's App is better anyway!". Sued every companies that is in competition with us. Make patients from generic idea like a tablet must be "rectangle". ( http://www.scribd.com/doc/61944044/Community-Design-000181607-0001 ) Yeah, it's rectangle! (forget about widescreen... it's monitor anyway... tablet PC???
Not quite, they tie it up with patents then go sue anyone who prints without them getting paid for it. Per copy!
Then they go and sue anyone making a printer, saying something like "it can print to an apple, so they have to pay us for use of our apple only printer system (driver)".
Give it time, you know they will.
That's probably true. But with the capacity of flash storage, there would be plenty of space for multiple OS drivers.
The worst case scenario is that you would have a computer boot up, and all drivers would be taken care of. Then the user would have the option to choose to update their computer to the latest drivers or not.
Wishful thinking again, and in a perfect world.
This is called a print server. Most Companies use them.
I agree that drivers on the printer, rather than just built in fonts and support for postscript, are a great idea for smaller printers although this would raise the prices of small printers that are sold at or below cost by OEMs who make money on print cartridges.
I've always wondered about that...
On a side note: has anyone heard about the new crystal storage by some British inventors? I can't find any information but some low-level article on a non-tech website... I'd really appreciate it.