Google Printing Solution
December 2, 2009 – 9:47 PM | by Michael P. Johnson
Google has a problem getting their Chrome OS to print with everyone’s printer. Why don’t they solve this with another cloud application?
I was Listening to one of my favorite podcasts this evening, Buzz Out Loud episode #1117. Tom, Molly and Rafe spent some time talking about a report that Google wants to develop a standard for printing to ease the work required to get Google’s new Chrome OS to print.
It’s a huge problem! Nearly every printer has a different software driver. Even within the same manufacturer there are driver differences for each generation and style of printer they make. It sure makes it all very complicated. I applaud Google for trying and I hope they succeed. But frankly, I think Google is missing a bigger opportunity!
I print less and less all the time. In fact, the only time I print is when I can’t email a link or upload a document to someone. I might print 10 sheets of paper a month at most! Probably less most months.
Chrome OS is being targeted for netbooks, those small Atom-based mini-laptops you see for less than $400.00 these days. For most people, a netbook is not a primary computer. People use netbooks to be mobile and on the go. They have a desktop or larger laptop for major work. They wont be carrying their printer when they travel with their netbook. So why does Chrome OS need to print at all if there is never a printer near by?
So Google needs to do what they do best and just develop a cloud app for people to use. InstaPaper is one website that provides a bookmarklet for someone to easily capture the text of a website to another location to read at another time. I like InstaPaper and use it regularly. That would take care of things from other websites you wanted to print. But everything else being done on the Chrome OS machine is being done in the cloud already. It can be accessed and printed from another computer. Very little will be saved locally.
Share a Google Doc or Spreadsheet. Send a link to a site. Create a PDF and send an attachment. The occasions to print should be less and less as more and more people get more and more mobile devices. Why print at all?
4 Responses to “Google Printing Solution”
By edythemighty on Dec 2, 2009 | Reply
Because I still get asked by teachers to print things. Because at some jobs, people want things like budget reports, presentations, etc printed out for everybody at meetings. Having a way to go into Google Docs and selecting Print to… and selecting your university/work/etc available printer with little hassle would make that thin little netbook so much more valuable. Yeah, we should move away from paper, but not everyone will, alas, and I for one, do not want a Fail on my record D:
By Michael P. Johnson on Dec 2, 2009 | Reply
Good points Edy. I take care of computers for a public school system. One teacher is paper free. Others are moving in that direction. It will take time of course, but I hope more people learn to accept work digitally and deal with it. I guess we shall see who long it takes though.
By kevan on Dec 3, 2009 | Reply
I rarely print at home, except for travel documents… you always need to print them at home if you check in online.