“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. Both solutions remove the need for drivers or software downloads.”
from HP’s official “Frequently asked questions about ePrint enabled printers and Apple’s AirPrint“
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So with Airprint you still have to have a wireless network.. is that correct? Trying to figure this out……
Hi Cindy,
Any AirPrint enabled wireless printer you need to be connected to a WiFi network, the same to which your iDevice (iPhone or iPad) is connected.
The AirPrint is a protocol that make the iOS device NOT to need a driver to print over WiFi.
In fact the are many wireless printers but not all of them implement the AirPrint protocol.
The AirPrint enabled wireless printer DO NOT offer and Access Point functionality so you can not connect to them if there is not a WiFi network already in place.
If your need is to print wirelessly but without relying on a preexistent network what you will need is a Bluetooth printer, but in that case you will need to jailbreak your iDevice and install the commercial application Celeste from the Cydia store.
I use this last solution to print on my Polaroid PoGo printer.
Hope this has been helpful.
Thanks for posting.
Marco MC
Celeste: http://yoursn0w.com/2011/03/24/cydia-celeste-bluetooth-files-sharing-for-ios-video/
Polaroid Pogo: http://store.polaroid.com/Products/Polaroid+PoGo/Overview/Overview/1804
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Must one purchase two printers, namely eprint for Windows and the second one for AirPrint for the iPad?
I have the eprint, from where would I purchase the AirPrint?
Kindly revert
Best regards
Hello Athol,
as far as I know only HP is making AirPrint compatible printers, see this link:
http://www8.hp.com/uk/en/campaign/mobile-printing/airprint.html?jumpid=reg_r1002_uken
Still you can make your computer to act as an AirPrint server, and it will share via WiFi the printers installed on your Mac or PC with AirPrint Activator:
AirPrint Activator for Mac
AirPrint Activator for Windows
Cheers
I just purchased the HP 8600 Pro premium printer it was on sale it’s excellent it does both Airplant and E print and all my other third-party apps like the PDF files adobe ibooks my email accounts everything else automatically find it in print to it and also can fax and scan and do photos all from my iPhone I never have to go to the printer.
Thanks Mark for the great feedback!!!
I understand that I can use AirPrint to print from my iPad, iPhone, will it also operate as a normal wireless printer from my MacBook?
Yes it will, as a normal wireless printer.
The AirPrint is solely a presentation protocol that instruct the iOS devices how to use a printer without the need of a specific driver, while for a normal Mac the drivers a generally integrated in the system or the printer vendor usually provides a driver to install (not different that the way it works for Windows).
I’m still confused about this, is ePrint compatible with AirPrint?
Never mind, I understand after doing a little more research.
Hi Marcomc !!
Could you please illustrate a major difference between Airprint and Wi-Fi.
Please Email to [email protected]
Thanks
Hi Jack
Is per the reply to Pete:
==
The AirPrint is solely a presentation protocol that instruct the iOS devices how to use a printer without the need of a specific driver, while for a normal Mac the drivers a generally integrated in the system or the printer vendor usually provides a driver to install (not different that the way it works for Windows).
==
while ePrint is an embedded functionality of HP printers that connect the printers to HP server that will function as a printing gateway.
When you are around the world (but even in the same office) you print from a device connected to the internet the print goes to HP gateway and then redirected to the ePrint printer.
I’m confused on why you would need airprint if you have eprint. Also wondering what the difference between hp 3051a which sells for $49 and Hp 3052A for $69
you need airprint if you want to print from iPad or iPhone because ePrint is a different technology for computers only (so far)
Can I get print from iphone whit wifi printer?? How??
If I have an airprint ,can I get print from computer?? Or it works whit iphone and ipad and ipod only??
From a Mac with Lion or Mountain Lion you CAN print ot AirPrint printers.
I don’t know from a Windows computer, never tried before.
My main problem with HP’s ePrint is that you don’t have a native printer to send a job to. You have to use their ePrint application. Looking at a website? Leave it, reopen it in ePrint, and print it. Looking at a photo? Quit, open it in ePrint, and print. There are some add-ons for pdf-ing a webpage, then open the pdf in ePrint and print. It is god aweful. And nevermind that the application’s built-in “print” buttons don’t ever send to ePrint, causing confusion.
I HATE apple and mac, and all the *************** that goes with it… but HP is SWIMMING in cool-aid and can’t tell you what flavor it is. AirPrint built in native to the OS is a much better idea.
I purchased HP Laserjet M127fw. It has eprint and airprint both. I set it up normally on wireless network. Use hp eprint app on my iPad and iPhone I can print from safari, email and so on with myriad and iPhone. Did not have to even look at airprint setup. So far so good. I am not using for pictures, just black and white printer, but simple setup in less than half an hour.
I’m trying to find out the difference between basic bluetooth and Mac Air printing? I’m getting my first mac (the air) and will need a printer for working remotely. I thought I needed bluetooth. is that a more generic form of mac Air printing?
AirPrint is based on WiFi, and the printer must be AirPrint enabled. Very few are.
Bluetooth will not be a good printing solution because the speed of data-trasfer is too low and I’m not sure how many bluetooth printer are available with drivers for Mac.