Wifi Revolution

When Apple (News - Alert) released the most recent version of its mobile operating system, iOS 4.2, many consumers were chomping at the bit to try out the new AirPrint function, which finally gives users the ability to print wirelessly from any iPhone (News - Alert), iPad or iPod Touch.

Unfortunately, Apple failed to mention in its preview of the operating system that AirPrint only works with a very small number of Hewlett-Packard (News - Alert) wireless printers. At the time of the release of iOS 4.2, only 11 HP printers were compatible with AirPrint. Owners of models made by Cannon, Samsung, Lexmark and other popular printer manufacturers were simply out of luck.

With consumer frustration in mind, mobile developer EuroSmartz is enhancing its line of printing applications in an effort to make Apple's Airprint feature available to owners of “almost every wireless printer,” EuroSmartz CEO Ian Schenkel told MacWorld.

To be officially announced on Tuesday, version 1.8 of the company's PrintBureau and PrintCentral apps will offer AirPrint support to all of the aforementioned wireless printer manufacturers. The updated applications will also enable background printing to USB printers from EuroSmartz' free-to-download WePrint software.

 “There is an increasing buzz around AirPrint and what it brings to the iPad and iPhone,” Schenkel told the news source. “However the overriding factor that is most dominant in blogs, forums and the press is that folks can’t use an existing, non-ePrint wireless printer directly with AirPrint.

"PrintBureau and PrintCentral as standalone apps have had the ability to print directly to most Wi-Fi printers for over a year," he added. "These upgrades will combine the current capabilities with AirPrint and enable direct printing support to be shared in the background on an iPad or iPhone."

Once launching one of EuroSmartz' updated apps, all users need to do is switch into multitasking mode, open another application and click print. At this point, users will be greeted with all the printing options normally available through a PC, including paper size, the number of copies needed and the option of color or black-and-white printing, according to MacWorld.

PrintCentral is designed specifically for iPad and iPhone devices. It costs $8 for the iPhone version and $10 for the iPad. PrintBureau, on the other hand, is a universal app that is priced at $13.The two applications are expected to be available for download at the App Store at some point this week.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Janice McDuffee