Chromebook Printing

ColHerb
ColHerb Member Posts: 3 New User
in 2014 Archives

What is the reason Google did not include the capability to print to any wireless printer? This failure makes an otherwise reasonable device much less useful. I was thinking about pushing for our school district to adopt the Chromebook for about 1500 students but the shortcomings make advocacy somewhat embarassing. So sad.Man Sad

 

Google needs to rethink its corporate slogan and consider one similiar to "The user first, last and always."

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Answers

  • suniljp
    suniljp Member Posts: 166 Troubleshooter

    Chrome support Google cloud printing and classic printing.

     

    Follow the link below to setup printer in chrome book.

     

    http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10397/kw/chrome%20printing

  • ColHerb
    ColHerb Member Posts: 3 New User

    suniljp,

     

    Thank you for responding. Yes, printing works OK with the Chrome book but printing requires another computer to be online, the printer must be Cloud Printing equiped or a connection to a printer made with a USB cable.

     

    Not being able to print to a wireless printer without another computer in the system is a design issue. Unless the cost for the additional software is prohibitive, I remain puzzled by Google's decision.

     

    Setting up printing using another computer was quite straighforward and seems to work as expected.

  • BinghamClaire
    BinghamClaire Member Posts: 2 New User

    Have to agree, its a joke, I will never recommend our chromebook to anyone.

  • SrinuVasu
    SrinuVasu Member Posts: 10 New User

    Chromebooks do not support printing from local printers via the USB port. To print from your Chromebook, you can use the Google Cloud Print service to print.

     

    To connect your printer to Google's Cloud Print, visit Google's Connect your printer to Google Cloud Print page. Once you've added a printer, press Ctrl+P to print from your Chromebook.

    Google Cloud Print can send requests to either a cloud ready printer that can connect directly to the Internet or a classic printer that is plugged into a Windows or Mac computer with Internet access.

     

    For more information on printing with your Chromebook, visit Google's Printing page.

  • dpugh
    dpugh Member Posts: 1 New User

    I am unable to use my printer with my Chromebook.  Yesterday, I updated drivers for my Windows computer and I think it may have had an impact on the Chromebook.  That's the only thing that I've done that would alter it.  The printer works fine with my Windows computer.  How do I restore my Chromebook printing?

  • eltonw
    eltonw Member Posts: 23 New User

    This question has been asked so many times.Smiley LOLHere is the solution: how to print with a chromebook Smiley Wink

  • tommyb143
    tommyb143 Member Posts: 3 New User

    using another computer to print is a rubbish solution, what happens if the internet is down or trying to use in a place with no internet?

     

    just dumb, such a simple thing and causes such a big impact, being able to use a usb cable is faster and more fool proof, also private now every thing you print has passed through the web 

  • eltonw
    eltonw Member Posts: 23 New User
    tommyb143 wrote:

    using another computer to print is a rubbish solution, what happens if the internet is down or trying to use in a place with no internet?

     

    just dumb, such a simple thing and causes such a big impact, being able to use a usb cable is faster and more fool proof, also private now every thing you print has passed through the web 

    The advantage of cloud printing is that you can print a document from anywhere, Wifi printing uses your local network, which normally is secured .The printer can be physically located in a more convenient location (r.g. another room / office). One can print, scan, and verify the condition of the machine remotely, without the need of special drivers or dedicated software.

     

            Just  as one's email is encrypted. information sent to the printer is encrypted. smileyhappy:

     

    Here are the advantages of cloud computing): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

     

    Wireless or 'cloud enabled' printers have usb ports, for those who wish to install drivers and connect them directly.

     

    cheers, Smiley Wink

     

     

  • tommyb143
    tommyb143 Member Posts: 3 New User
    Yes cloud printing is clever, but why have ONLY cloud printing, it means you MUST have internet, if this isn't possible or not wanted you are forced to do it, why not have the choice, it can't be hard to have the drivers!
  • eltonw
    eltonw Member Posts: 23 New User
    tommyb143 wrote:
    Yes cloud printing is clever, but why have ONLY cloud printing, it means you MUST have internet, if this isn't possible or not wanted you are forced to do it, why not have the choice, it can't be hard to have the drivers!

    Didn't you post this message using the Internet? ...  Smiley LOL

     

            No further comment. 

     

    Spoiler
    "Don't feed the trolls"
  • tommyb143
    tommyb143 Member Posts: 3 New User
    Yes I know most the time I do have internet availability, but 2 things, we have a narrow bandwidth and when using Netflix etc I a few laptops in the house using other web based services it begins to slow down.

    And I some times work on a boat where internet is rare, this just means I can't use this equipment there, why limit a systems functionality over a few lines of code..... For F sake, just install printer drivers!
  • mrslit75
    mrslit75 Member Posts: 3 New User

    I am still looking/hoping for a simple way to print from my Acer Chromebook.  I do not want to have to connect to and through another computer.  Please let me know that this change is coming soon!

  • mrslit75
    mrslit75 Member Posts: 3 New User

    I have tried unsuccessfully with several different printers (HP Deskjets) to print directly from my Chromebook to a cloud-ready printer.  I keep being told that I must connect through another computer, a PC or Mac.  That is not possible, so I cannot print at all.  I was also told that it was a problem with the drivers and that a solution would be forthcoming.  Is there a solution? Is there a way to  print from the Acer Chromebook C-720 without having to connect to and through another PC or Mac?  If the answer is yes, which printer actually works? 

     

     

  • mrslit75
    mrslit75 Member Posts: 3 New User

    What if the only internet access is through a mobile hotspot from a cell phone?  How can one print from the Acer C720 Chromebook without connecting through another computer and with a mobile hot spot? 

  • colblu
    colblu Member Posts: 4 New User

    "Wireless or 'cloud enabled' printers have usb ports, for those who wish to install drivers and connect them directly."  No they all do not.  I just returned a Brother HL-L2360 printer (on the list of Google Cloud friendly printers) because I could not print with my wife's new Chromebook.  The printer had only an  ethernet connection and the Chromebook did not.  The printer came with setup instructions and a CD, but of course there is no CD drive in a Chromebook.  The only option available from the printer's start up guide was to allow the Chromebook to search for the printer once it was connected to my router.  That was apparently beyond its capability too.

    I am not going to keep buying and returning printers on the Google Cloud list until I find one the Chromebook can find.  It is the only computer we have so printing through another computer isn't an option.  I am SO sorry I convinced my wife to get a Chromebook and get rid of her Dell PC.  All I can do now is change my Google+ password to Ih8Google!

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,101 Trailblazer

    The printer should have a setup menu available without a computer. It will have to be connected to your router (most routers have four ethernet ports for internal use) so it can get access to the internet and you'll have to give your Google account info to the printer so it'll know how to connect properly. Once it's setup you should be able to print through Cloud Print. If the printer can't see the internet, or can't access your account, it will not work.

     

    I have a different model of Brother printer and setup was pretty easy with mine...

    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • colblu
    colblu Member Posts: 4 New User

    Thanks.  I connected my printer to my router with an ethernet cable in the same way I connected my non-Google Cloud printer before it.  The printed setup instructions took me through a series of screens I would see when I used the setup CD.  However, without another computer or CD drive that wasn't going to happen.  The final alternative on the setup instructions was to press a button on my router that it apparently didn't have and then turn on the printer, press the WiFi enable button on the printer and let it connect to my router itself.  It tried to do this for several minutes and then timed out.  I moved the printer right next to the router and retried four times with the same result.

    At that point the frustration level was pretty high so I packed up the printer and returned it since I'd had the Chromebook too long to return it (which was what I really wanted to do).  Our only choice now is for my wife to capture a web page she wants to print and save it, then attach it to an email and send it to me at work where I can print it from my work PC.  That sucks!

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,101 Trailblazer

    I see what you mean, I went on Brothers site and looked at the documentation for that printer. They really, really push the 'use the CD-ROM' method. Smiley Sad They do, however, in the Network section of the online users manual, have a section titled "Network Menu on the Brother Control Panel" which allows you to setup the network manually. I didn't see a method for printing the current network settings for a wired connection but I did see one for printing the wireless settings.They really want to have either a brain-dead user with a PC or Mac or a very savvy user with anything else.

    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • colblu
    colblu Member Posts: 4 New User
    Yes, and I am neither. Google could solve this problem, but our complaints continue to fall on deaf ears. My experiment with Chromebook is over.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,101 Trailblazer
    colblu wrote:
    Yes, and I am neither. Google could solve this problem, but our complaints continue to fall on deaf ears. My experiment with Chromebook is over.

    The problem with printing directly to a printer instead of going through the cloud is that then the computer needs to know enough about the printer to format the data correctly, and though there are standards, everyone interprets the standards a bit differently. Google would either have to go the Microsoft route of publishing an API and requiring each manufacturer to write drivers for that API or go the even tougher route of getting every printer manufacturer to provide enough low level info for Google to write it's own drivers... And either of those would require putting more stuff on the local machine. With the cloud they can pick a format and only push it back to printers they know will accept it.

    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.

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