Motorola is the latest company to tackle one of the thornier issues for mobile devices: how do you print documents from your gadget?
At CTIA today, Motorola is showing off a new application for Android devices called MotoPrint that allows users to print a document from their phone on any PostScript printer on the same local network. You’ll be able to print Microsoft Office docs, PDFs and graphics, according to PC Magazine, which got a demo.
You just open the app, choose your document, set our options and then send it to a local printer.
This solves a basic issue that crops up as more people rely on smartphones and tablets as their primary computing device. The phones have helped get people onto the Internet and allowed them to view and create documents. But when it comes time to print things out, you have to head to a computer to complete the task. This allows users to remain untethered and helps in the evolution of mobile devices as standalone platforms that don’t have to work in tandem with another computer.
Motorola isn’t the only one tackling this issue. Apple said it will include printing capabilities through AirPrint in the upcoming iOS 4.2 update but it will be limited to HP’s latest ePrint printers, which can receive print jobs through an e-mail address. Samsung has also shown off the ability for printing from the new Galaxy Tab tablet. Google is also working on enabling cloud printing from desktop, web and mobile apps through Google Cloud Print. MotoPrint, which should have a wide base of printers to print from, is reportedly coming by the end of the year though the price hasn’t been set.
Related research from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):
- Why RIM’s Future (Unfortunately) Hinges on BlackBerry OS 6
- Why Google Launched App Inventor
- Transient Apps: The Consumer Influence on Enterprise Mobility, Part 2
Post and thumbnail photos courtesy of Flickr user liewcf
