Chromebook ---- Idiot Proof Printer?

[5thwheeleroldma]

Does anyone make a laser printer that you just sit beside a chromebook, turn both of them on and, --- presto majico they are both communicating with one another?

Thinking of going exclusively to chromebook, but the printing issue is stopping me. I have had 3 HP or Brother printers, all wireless, supposedly, and I could never get any of them to "hook up" on wireless. Had to use the USB cord.

All the online stuff tells you how easy it is to do wireless. Bull Hoops!!

[bcsdguy]

They can make bluetooth operate keyboards, mice, speakers, and headphones but not printers, as stated. It will come but until then, cloud print is all there is.

[TheBearAK]

The reason you need to use Cloud Print to do this wirelessly (WiFi) is because the Applications are essentially web pages. Web pages don't print all that well to local printers as they usually include information you don't want on the page such as headers, sidebars, tools, etc.

Chromebooks use Google Apps. Web pages that emulate applications.

Cloud Print gets around it by having an App pre-format the page before sending it to the printer.

Bluetooth should be an option, but for whatever reason the programmers at google evidently have not figured out how to make a bluetooth driver that emulates USB, which is basically what it does.

[APT]

Since you already have "Linksys wireless G 2.4 ghtz broadband router" you already have set up a network. It may or may not have network printer capability. However, if your desire is easy to use printing from a Chromebook, then this $100 network printer should be good. Here are some setup steps.

[strollin]

bcsdguy wrote:
Chromebook does not support blue tooth printing. It CAN print directly to a wireless printer via the cloud and the printer doesn't need to be attached to a pc. The printer does however, need to be on the wifi network directly in order to avoid having to use a pc for connection.

Only certain printers can do that. They need to support web-enabled cloud printing. Not all printers support it.

Just read that there is a new type of printer that has a feature called wifi direct, that maybe what bcsdguy is talking about. Regardless, only certain new computers support it.

[bcsdguy]

Chromebook does not support blue tooth printing. It CAN print directly to a wireless printer via the cloud and the printer doesn't need to be attached to a pc. The printer does however, need to be on the wifi network directly in order to avoid having to use a pc for connection.

[Ductape]

Cloud printing will not work if the printer is not network connected and shared.

[MrWizard]

yes it does, the file is sent via internet to the cloud server which then sends it back to printer

[5thwheeleroldma]

We do use a Verizon hotspot when travelling (2 mos/yr approx), so more gigs not welcome. I use about 7 gigs just normally, without watching videos or movies, so I really don't want to add to that.

So you think cloud printing adds more gigs?

[strollin]

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
Linksys wireless G 2.4 ghtz broadband router; but I have a dedicated printer for each of our two PCs, the printers are not on a network. That is the problem. I do not know how to set up a network; tried a couple of times, *&#@ed up each time. ...

This is your problem. A wireless printer connects to your networked printer via wifi, you need to have a network setup and have the printer "shared" on the network. Any chance you could get a friend or relative to help you get it set up?

If you want something that can sit next to your Chromebook and connect to it then I think Chris Bryant has the right idea suggesting a Bluetooth printer. It won't be as simple as just setting next to the printer and having it work though as you will still need to pair the printer to the Chromebook. This is assuming that your Chromebook has built-in Bluetooth and the Chrome OS supports Bluetooth printing.

Cloud print should work too. The way Cloud print works is that you will email the document you want to print to a special email account on the Cloud print server which will download the document to the computer your printer is attached to then send the document to the printer.

[bcsdguy]

I use an HP laserjet printer with both my pc and my two Chrome books and like was mentioned above, you need to go through cloud print which is the only way to "hook up" chromebooks. Go to the app store and add the Hprint app to your chromebook and if your printer has wireless and is on the list of printers that work with the app, it should connect.

[Chris_Bryant]

I've never used one, but a Bluetooth printer sounds like it might be best for you.

[Ductape]

Cloud printing will eat bytes if you are on a metered account as many of us are. You could just pay a tech a one time charge to set up your router.

[5thwheeleroldma]

Linksys wireless G 2.4 ghtz broadband router; but I have a dedicated printer for each of our two PCs, the printers are not on a network. That is the problem. I do not know how to set up a network; tried a couple of times, *&#@ed up each time. I really don't want to go back to school to learn to be an IT guy. Just want to turn it on and it works!

Sorry to rant, but if IPhones were that difficult, do you think everyone in a restaurant would be poking at them instead of talking? Say what you will about Steve Jobs, but he understood people, common stupid people!

[APT]

You have to configure your printer for Google Cloud Print. Any printer on your network should be configured to do that. Some routers have USB ports to do that for any printer. Some printers have ethernet/wifi to connect. One Wireless Network Printer.


What is your router model? I have a Netgear WNDR4500 which has two USB ports. I have not used it for a printer, but an external drive/storage does work as advertised. As my kids get older I may move the printer to the network instead of USB connected to one desktop PC.