| The technology for connecting to a printer has | | | | to do this by simply using the Bluetooth wireless |
| changed dramatically over the years. I remember | | | | technology you're able to print out your |
| my first printer used a serial connector and was a | | | | photographs directly from your phone. |
| dot matrix printer that a friend had got from me | | | | You'll also find that many printers are now coming |
| from a company called Data Products. | | | | with memory card readers. They will have a |
| At the time no serial cable came with this so I | | | | variety of slots for different types of memory |
| had to basically make one myself by getting the | | | | for example compact flash memory, SDCard |
| connectors and cable separately as sitting down | | | | memory and a variety of other different types. |
| with a soldering iron and working out exactly | | | | Basically most of these will be memory cards that |
| which words went where. At the time it was a | | | | fit in cameras or you can also connect with a USB |
| little bit confusing but worked perfectly because I | | | | memory key so you can print documentation |
| had the schematics layout. | | | | directly from the memory without having to |
| For years and still today many printers come with | | | | connect to a computer. |
| serial cables as the main option for connecting. | | | | It was inevitable that we would start to see |
| Over the past few years we have seen this | | | | many more printers on the market with 802.11 |
| changing dramatically. You'll now find very few | | | | wireless connectivity. And this is a really |
| computers and laptops come with serial | | | | convenient way of connecting the matter |
| connectors and you are probably most likely to | | | | whether you work at home or in an office. The |
| see many printers now just coming with USB | | | | simple fact that you can print from your laptop |
| ports so you can connect. | | | | when in your kitchen to the printer upstairs just |
| The printers have also changed in terms of | | | | makes so much sense or if you are in a board |
| connectivity. For example some photo printers will | | | | room on a wireless laptop on which to print |
| now also come with USB Bluetooth dongle, which | | | | important slides for presentation you do not have |
| you can connect to from a laptop a mobile phone, | | | | to worry about finding Ethernet cables to connect |
| or any other device that uses Bluetooth. I | | | | to your network. |
| personally use mine to connect from my phone | | | | It's fantastic to see that the technology for |
| and send pictures from the phone to the printer | | | | connecting to your printer has changed |
| so they can be instantly printed. The printer will | | | | dramatically over the years. It may seem a |
| also come with an LCD screen so you can make | | | | simple little thing but the fact that all |
| any slight changes before hand if required for | | | | manufacturers are now using the same |
| example removing redeye. The great thing about | | | | technology across the board makes a massive |
| this is you do not need a computer to enable you | | | | difference to us the consumers. |