Last June 22, HP announced its new all-in-one printer, the Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web. Aside from cramming a fax machine, copier, scanner, and a printer into one device, run of the mill technology by today's standards, this new printer can actually print straight from the Web using on-device applications fashioned specifically for this purpose.
As the headline to that story makes clear, that's a Linux-based printer: indeed, it's pretty much unthinkable that these innovative approaches could use anything else. Linux's small footprint, speed, customisability and low cost make it ideal - uniquely so. Where would we be without it?
One thing we'd like to see is movement toward free and open drivers that can be packaged by the various Linux distros.
ReplyDeleteExplaining that they come out with models too often to keep up with packaging demands, the printer manufacturers have been holding on to their drivers and specifications. HP has long been an exception to this problem.
If the manufacturers cannot release an open source driver, they can at least release open specifications so a FLOSS driver can be written.
Instead, the industry focus lately has been on making it easy for Linux users to consume their non-free drivers. (I explain a bit more about this at http://iquaid.org/2009/05/25/new-face-in-meaningful-linux-shows-and-a-reportlet-on-openprinting/)
Interesting point: thanks for the link.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this better explains Brother's patent deal with Microsoft. Where HP goes it seems likely Brother will follow.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought, but surely nobody is daft enough to run a printer on Windows...?
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