Windows 10 - Drivers

[Auggybendoggy]

I'm wondering, if Windows 10 will now cross all borders of desktop/laptop - Tablet - Mobile - does this mean we might actually see printer drivers being made for mobile.

I'm not an advanced user. I can build a PC and repair em, that's about it. One thing I've noticed on Android and WP is that neither are friendly to print. Even in 8.1, I can open an excel file in office and there's no "print" option. It would be nice if I could install a printer driver on my phone and now begin printing (assuming the app has that built in).

Anyone elese have any thoughts on printing from tablets and phones?

 

[AndyCalling]

The phone approach is to use apps. You need to download the printer app for your printer from the printer manufacturer. For example I use the Samsung app. Unfortunately this app will print pics from my phone but not office docs, but it will print them from Onedrive? Weird. Still, it does do it in its own odd manner. Blame Samsung.

So, if no app is available from your make, you'll need to discuss that with your printer company.

Still, I find that I'm rarely in a situation where I have a printer and phone but no PC, tablet or laptop available. Printers tend to live near PCs. So I just use a PC most times.

 

[Auggybendoggy]

Andy,
Yes, I've done that. But if a driver is can be made cross platform then why wouldn't an app company simply make a print feature. For example, I can't print from evernote on my Wphone (8.1). But now if the company who makes Evernote makes an app for W10 desktop, they can simply add printing features to Evernote since drivers could be made easily by the printer companies.

I'm trying to figure out why someone wouldn't want that feature. The printer apps suck. I have a Brother Wireless laser and installed the apps and I still can't print from evernote, or IE, or any other web browser.

 

[AndyCalling]

You couldn't install a driver without full desktop style access to the OS. Granted, there is no clear reason why such is fine for larger devices but suddenly becomes a 'bad thing' once the screen size drops below 7 inches, but that screen size seems to be the key factor. Otherwise you'd be in a WinRT situation where you can only use the drivers that came built in to the device (which may not include your printer). At least the app model allows device manufacturers to make a printer app if they wish. The RT approach of locking it down to MS only driver provision was awful (and I liked RT in other respects).

Also, native drivers are not cross platform. They are Intel x86 code. Your phone uses an ARM cpu (like RT devices did). Drivers would need to be made specifically for ARM devices so no sudden glut of drivers if this was made possible.

Best approach would be for the printer app people to allow us to 'share to' the app, but as MS are depreciating integration features like 'share to' in W10 (it's being buried on the full OS version and is now hard to access, the usual phase before dumping it) that boat has probably sailed.