Can I print to my Windows PC's printer?

Question

Can I print to my Windows PC's printer?

Trying to figure out how to do this or if its even possible. Is there any way that we can print from the iPad to my wife's HP LaserJet 5c which is connected to her Windows XP computer? It is not a wireless printer, but the HP Computer is on the home network, and of course... so is the iPad.

I'm thinking her iPad has to somehow "see" the network, see the HP computer, and see the HP LaserJet 5C that is connected to that Windows PC. Don't know if there's an APP that does this or whether it'd work on its own.

Mike

Airport Express-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.6.8), iMac, MacBookPro, iPad, iPhones

Posted on Apr 15, 2013 12:08 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

varjak paw

Level 10

182,662 points

Apr 15, 2013 12:20 PM in response to LightningMike

There are ways to print through a printer connected to a computer. Take a look at Fingerprint. You could also consider an AirPrint-capable print server. Lantronix makes a couple of models, including one that supports a USB printer:

http://www.lantronix.com/it-management/xprintserver/xprintserver-t2.html

Regards.

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Answer 2

varjak paw

Level 10

182,662 points

Apr 18, 2013 6:54 AM in response to LightningMike

Probably because getting printing to work with a non-wireless printer it takes a lot of code, and hence a lot of programming time, to create software to allow printing from an iOS device. Developers who go to that much work usually want to be compensated for the effort. Your Mac can work through Windows print sharing since the Mac has its own printer drivers, but iOS devices have no print drivers and hence cannot. If your printer had WiFi built in, there would be a number of printing apps that you could choose from, but for a non-wireless printer your options are far fewer. If $19.95 is too much for you, then your only other, less-expensive option is probably to transfer the documents to your computer and print from there.

Regards.

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Answer 3

Apr 17, 2013 6:16 PM in response to varjak paw

I'd really like to find some way that doesn't involve spending a bundle of money. I wouldn't mind a $5.00 APP, but since I have wifi and can print from my MBPro... why doesn't somebody make a cheap app that allows you to print from an iPad?

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