Once again Steve Jobs is setting new standards when it comes to CEO-level customer service, this time addressing printing on the iPad.
The question:
Why no printing on the iPad? What gives:
Steve Jobs' reply:
It will come.
Sent from my iPhone
So there you have it, a very specific answer with no time commitment about when the iPad will get printing, functionality essential to many productivity-based use cases.
Reader comments
Steve Jobs: printing will come to the iPad
We all knew it would come I believe...but when? 4.0 perhaps or iPad 2. Seems to be a simple iPhone OS upgrade.
it better be able to print via a wi-fi network or bluetooth
Probably a feature for 2nd Gen iPad.
It can print now: E-mail file to PC, then CTRL-P! (Hey, isn't the iPad a computer accessory, not a computer? After all, Apple lists the PC or Mac requirements for an iPad, right?)
The ipad will eventually be a laptop replacement once hardware advances. As NAND gets bigger and the CPU gets faster it will get more features but right now the limit on the ipad is battery technology. Once batteries become lighter and stronger they will be more easily able to build more functionality into it
@Tom
I don't think the iPad's features are limited by the battery. The battery is incredible as it stands and features that are lacking can easily be fixed without adding hardware (which would be the only case against the battery since it takes up so much space). But even still I think the battery is fine, it just needs 4.0 which will have wi-fi printing IMO.
@Tom
a TRS-80 could print.
The capability to print has nothing to do with battery life or CPU horsepower.
Either it was the choice of someone who says only Neanderthals print hard-copies or an oversight.
They put too much effort into their productivity suite for there to be any true technical hurdle.
I print anything I want on the iPad with eprint app. It's works great. I just printed some article on the web this morning, by coping and open the app up and it right there.
I believe the limitation on printing is a technical one, due to how printers are designed these days,k and the control imposed on the iPad.
When you want to print to a printer, you have to install a specific driver. The iPad has the ability to installs apps, but where is the driver install capability? None appears to exist at the moment.
This isn't an excuse, just an explanation. I think Steve has specific plans for printing, and i would think printing would be a "tent-pole" feature in OS 4.0 if it was coming, so I think you'll all be waiting until next year for 5.0.
Printing from an iPad makes it simple when you just want to print photos from an iPad, or you need to give someone a copy of a document, since so many services these days still rely on paper. I've seen some impressive sales apps you could use the iPad with. Imagine taking your order at a restaurant with an iPad, then getting a printer to print out the receipt after you signed with your finger or a stylus on the iPad. Maybe you don't want to give out your email or you need a paper copy for some reason?
One would think they could release an OS update to fix this and allow us to print over WiFi like any computer can do. They need to do this though and sooner rather than later.
@Deviladv
Print drivers these days amount to a single file for PostScript printers, which comprise the VAST majority of printers. Add HPCL 4 and some generic Epsom and you have the ability to print to 99.44% of all printers on the market and installed.
These single files are PPD files, already in every Mac, Windows, and Linux system are readily available for download from the net. It does NOT require a ton of software to be installed on the phone nor does it require a lot of processing power.
Andorid has this already. My Andrpid phone found my network attached printer, figured out it was Postscript capable, instantly prints anything I have to it, pictures, web pages, documents, etc. And if I wanted to punch a hole in my firewall I could do this from anywhere in the world.
Apple already uses CUPS for printing, and CUPS is very lightweight. It could, (and maybe will) be in the iPhone and the iPAD with the next release. With that, and one small PPD file specific to your printer (or a generic one) printing is a no brainer.
But then so was MMS.
They might as well had saved pages, numbers and keynote until after they added a printing feature.
Won't adding a printer to the iPad increase the weight? And where would you put the paper in?
How can apps like the one from HP print photos, but not emails, webpages, etc? Makes no sense why HP wouldn't expand that.
@icebike: Most consumer grade printers do not support postscript. Whenever picking a printer that is supported by Linux I always have to pick carefully for specifically supported printers or ones that support postscript. So Apple or the printer companies would have to supply ARM compiled drivers for all the printers that they want to support.
In any case, um isn't the point of a tablet to
replace print outs by providing a more natural way to carry and read documents, etc?
For the example of a POS system printing receipts they would either be done with a physical attachment and special software anyway or it would be connected to a cental server to record the sales, which would print out the receipt itself. So there would be no need for printer support in that case.
Even if this email is not fake Jobs does not include any details such as timeline or how. It
could be years from now or he could be referring to 3rd party apps from the likes of HP such as the app they already have out and could be expanding.
@webvex
Please be joking.
I already bought one of the apps for that... So when this comes I better be able to print without using another computer as a server...
"My Andrpid phone found my network attached printer, "
Network attached. What does your Android do with the majority of printers that DONT have a network port, but are simply a USB connection?
PrintCentral blew me away - I Never would have thought you could print from your ipad (was one reason I held off buying one) - both are now an invaluable tool for me