Printing with my iPad2 without Airprint printer? Oh yes I can!

prior to having to buy a new printer (one that does support airprint), i used a program called "print magic" (available in the app store), to print from my ipods, and ipad to my hp printer (that didn't support airprint). it works great, i didn't have to "go thru" my computer in order to print since it creates a partnership directly with your wifi printer. in the few years i used this program there was probably about a half dozen instances where i would have to restart my ipods in order to get "print magic" to recognize my printer. these instances were rare and i would dare say hardly an inconvenience. i wanted to let you know of the problems i encountered simply so you have an informed and more detailed review of the product.

i hope your search for an app goes well.

Hi Elizabeth

I have (in spite of a prejudice against HP) come to the same conclusion, so I am off to buy an HP Airprinter, I'll check out the model you purchased, thanks.

You're welcome. The HP Envy is my first non-Canon printer in eighty million years!

Do shop around (the usual suspects) as it can be found significantly discounted. It also xeroxes and scans to a flash drive or SD card and (when the application supports it) has a two-sided printing option. I bought it because someone in the forums had one . . . :-)

Elizabeth Ingraham wrote:

You're welcome. The HP Envy is my first non-Canon printer in eighty million years!

.snip .....

(Glancing around at various Canon Printers in the house)

Me too .....

tonefox wrote:

How splendidly misinformed and insulting...

You're quite right. You stick with Windows and leave Macs to us youngsters with our music and sharing our pictures of our drinking sessions with our friends.

If I have insulted I apologise unreservedly, this wasn’t myintention.

I’m still rather perplexed and not much thewiser so I guess I’m on my own here I’ll just have to wait until the iPad turnsup and see what I can figure out.

Accepted. Probably as much me, I'd had a less than perfect day... :-)

A google for "print ipad to windows" produced (amongst many others) this: http://ipadhelp.com/ipad-help/how-to-enable-airprint-for-windows-and-use-any-pri nter/

Have used Printopia for a while now. It does in fact work great !

Does the Mac have to be logged on ? Yes and No. Printopia treats the printer that is attached to you Mac either via USB or Wireless as a SHARED printer. So you must be logged in to you Mac for it to work EXCEPT you can change your settings in Network Settings under AirPort / Advanced to not disconnect after logging out AND change under Energy Saver to Wake For Network Access.

Thanks for the help. I have a Windows dominated network laptop, desktop ect and an unsupport HP wifi printer. so AirPrint or what ever Apple wants to call it will not work. Furthermore, I have no intention of buying a special supported printer or my favorite option an iMac just to print from an iPad.

Fortunately, the print magic app works pretty well. I say pretty well because I can not print directly from the e- mail app. What you do is copy it to the clip board (sorry paste board). Then start up the print magic app and it prints the paste board. All and all not to bad.

I just wish Apple would learn to play nice with wifi printers.

Michael.. let me know when Printopia can bypass the computer and prints directly from ipad2 to printer. (You seem to be working PR for them.)

I downloaded an app called print n share pro and had to download free software called we print on my windows 7 pc and was able to print. The app cost ten bucks. My printer is attached to my computer via USB. Everything else is connected via wi-fi. my printer is an hp 4400 series.

I had trouble at first with only a blank page printing, but it worked after switching the printer to compatibility mode and allowing we print server past firewall. It was a pain to figure out but not really that complicated. Just follow instructions on we print (eurosmartz.com) website troubleshooting.

I've only printed web pages which I open in the print n share pro app and paste url's in. App allegedly supports many types of files. It's worked so far.

Good luck to all!

Thank you. The perfect answer. Downloaded Printopia trial version and it worked like a dream. Happy to pay the asking price for this App.

What has me puzzled about all this is that it seems printing was a sort of after-thought. Did they really conceive of the iPad as just a toy of some sort? There just seems to have been a major disconnect somewhere. Most of the "solutions I've seen are quite Byzantine.

This is in contrast to iMac. Im currently borrowing one.... It found my networked Brother printer and printed to it with no problem (in its normal home it was set up for Epson & Samsung.

There must be something I'm missing.