Subject: Re[2]: IPP> Does the world need a robust host-to-device netw

From: [email-masked] (Robert McComiskie)
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 18:37:20 -0500

Seems to me that applications care more about the printer driver API 
     in the host OS rather than the protocol. The printer vendor will 
     create the driver, the app writer just prints to the API.
     
     Bob.
     
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Subject: Re: IPP> Does the world need a robust host-to-device network
Author:  [email-masked] at Internet
Date:    2/12/98 5:02 PM

Jay Martin wrote:
> 
> ...
> 
> Exactly.  Again, people's comments to me come out as: > 
>   "When compared to existing (proprietary/defacto) network printing
>    protocols, IPP adds so little that it does not provide the impetus 
>    to change existing infrastructures in the Intranet environment."
     
I think that this is the nut.  If a print hardware vendor is only going 
to embed *one* more protocol into their printer, would it be IPP?  Is
it enough of a good thing to build it?  If you build it, will they come?
     
To say it another way, is this *the* protocol that all of the print 
vendors are going to implement so that, now, I, an application writer, 
can migrate to this one protocol to drive all the latest and greatest 
print hardware.
     
On the other hand, if you, Mr. printer vendor, are happy as a clam 
to keep embedding protocols until the cows come home, then it does 
not matter.
     
...walker
     
--
Jim Walker <[email-masked]>
System Architect/DAZEL Wizard
DAZEL Corporation, Austin, TX

---

From: Jay Martin <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 15:31:46 -0500

Bob,

> create the driver, the app writer just prints to the API.

Actually, most PWG members would rather say "the *platform* vendor
will create the driver".  Hence, the critical importance of getting
such players as Microsoft on board (and *happy* ;-).

When it comes to applications that need to "print", you're right,
app writer's just print to the (platform-specific) print API.
I don't believe that's at issue here at all.

What *is* at issue is the "host-to-device" (aka "server-to-printer")
protocol.  And that's where platform-specific driver developers
have specific concerns with regard to the viability of IPP as
a suitable protocol.

	...jay

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