Description :
Wireless printing is a technological innovation which is rapidly growing in popularity, and it's easy to see why. Wireless printing really gives conventional wired printing a bit of a 'slap in the face' as it allows you to print to your own printer or a printer of your choice from anywhere. Add to this the fact that you can print from a number of different tech-savvy devices such as laptops, tablets and even mobile phones, and you really have a very beneficial piece of kit at your disposal.
| Photograph of wireless printer by dennis and amiee jonez Via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) |
Unlike the back in the old days, where printing involved being connected to a wired network or even connected via a direct line from desktop to printer, today’s printers are far more functional. So, let’s have a look and see how this tech works and how its ease of use can have a positive impact on functionality and ultimately user experience.
Cloud Printing
'Cloud Printing' has become increasingly popular in recent times. You may have already glimpsed an insight into 'the Cloud' through other uses such as in backup and storage in particular. Cloud Printing allows users to connect over the web and use the printer in a way that is somewhat similar to a fax machine. To do this effectively you simply set up a designated printer on the Cloud via software hosted on your computer or phone, and then send what you need to be printed over the internet. One of the most amazing things about this technology is that you don’t need the device to be connected via a wireless network necessarily and you can actually use mobile connectivity to connect and print from your printer with ease.
There is one issue to note with some Cloud Printing apps and that is that not all software works on all manufacturers’ printers and so occasionally it can be quite troublesome trying to link up all sorts of applications, devices and printers, with the whole process being quite confusing. That said, software has improved since the early days of this technology, and continues to do so. Also over the years many third party companies have started to offer full suites of printing options, compatible with a vast range of printers, on just one piece of software.
Mobile Printing
One of the alternatives to Cloud Printing comes in the form of 'Mobile Printing'. Mobile Printing uses wireless technology, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, to connect to the printer directly and send the documents which you require printing, whether these be standard page prints or images. Of course, unlike Cloud Printing, you can’t set up a print from the other side of the world with this form of data transfer as you will need to be within close proximity of your printer to print. That said, there are a number of ups however, and one of these is that as your data is not being sent over the internet it's actually a lot more secure than it would be if it were printed via Cloud Printing. Another thing with Mobile Printing is it can often be a lot faster, and you will not find yourself having to rely and count on the quality and speed of the internet connection in the area where you are.
Most printer manufacturers provide both Cloud and Mobile Printing solutions, and these days buying a printer with these capabilities will seldom cost a lot of money. In the case of both Cloud and Mobile Printing they can really be a benefit to your functionality by making it far easier to print at both work and home.
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*by andreascy*
