Connecting a printer isn't easy when the computer can't install software or lacks the necessary input, but Google reckons it has found a solution.
Google's upcoming operating system, Chrome OS, faces essentially the same problem as smartphones: Neither can install the drivers necessary to work with a legacy printer. So Google has explained a process it calls Google Cloud Print, and the cool thing is that it will work for any device, any application and any printer.
The service will act as a middleman between the device and the printer. So let's say you've got a Droid, and you want to print up directions from Google Maps. Google Cloud Print will send the information to the printer, and will then let the phone know that the job is complete. Printers with wireless Web access will be able to print directly, while other printers will need a connection to another computer or a network router.
Some users on the Chromium Blog are complaining that print jobs are handled through the cloud. One person suggested that the service should detect whether the printer is on a local area network, and should bypass the cloud if so. Another user quipped about the service, "Is that so it can come back with adwords embedded in the print job?"
Those are good points, but handling print jobs from the cloud also theoretically means you can print a document from anywhere. I don't know if this is possible, but it could come in handy if you're heading home, and want to print something from Google Docs to have it ready when you arrive.
Google Cloud Print is still under development, and questions remain. For example, how do you define which printer, or combination of printer and computer, will receive a document? And will all developers who want to support Google Cloud Print have to add code to their apps? At the very least, the concept is cool, but it seems like the logistics still need work.
