wgnoyes Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 You know, apparently we used to be able to do this 2 decades ago. The below screen shot is from the Jan/Feb 1991 issue of Front Sight. You could print wirelessly from a Pact MKIII timer/chronograph to a portable HP printer. So why can't we do this now? How did we backslide like this? Isn't there ANYONE who is a long-established hardware vendor that isn't going to disappear overnight or that you have to deal directly with overseas that has a small printer which would work with the android and iOS versions of practiscore, so that we can just print out the shooter's "score sheet" and not instead have to manually write it all down on a fortune-cookie slip of paper? No one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydiver Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Great find Bill! I completely echo your sentiments about "How did we backslide like this?" From that other infinitely long thread, what I gathered was that there were the following issues: 1) No standard printing API for Android platform. 2) No Apple approved small scale printers for iOS platform. (Somebody please correct me if I got those primary issues wrong.) The first one can probably be overcome if somebody writes an open source library that knows how to talk to printers either via WiFi and/or Bluetooth. I know that the protocols for Internet printing and Bluetooth printing already exist, but I've only seen these used from Windows desktop programs. I don't play with enough Apple devices to know if they also support those protocols. I don't know about the second issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Well for iOS there's such a thing as AirPrint now, and a fair number of (albeit) full-size AirPrint capable printers. Downside is they're full-size, they require power, and they probably wouldn't run well outside in the elements (rain, heat, and dust). For android......? I don't know; I never previously touched an android-anything before rooting my first B&N NST. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I see quite a few small devices that are labeled as Apple, windows and android compatible. What else is missing that this cant be made to work ? Is it the coding of Practiscore to interface with the printer ? Will the available aps in the Google Store not facilitate this ? Lots of devices: http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/mini-bluetooth-printers.html http://www.starasia.com/productshow.asp?ID=148 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 Like I said. a long-established hardware vendor selling domestically, so that you don't have to worry that they're going to disappear overnight and that you don't have to deal directly with an overseas party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Sorry, missed that part. Epson is about all I could find that was a familar brand. NCR has one, but its more money and a part of their bundled mobile POS service you sign up for. NCRSilver. Not sure it's viable, but here's the info. http://pos.epson.com/products/prodspmop.htm drivers - http://pos.epson.com/mobilesdks/ The Epson is still nearly $500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted July 23, 2012 Author Share Posted July 23, 2012 yeah, that's way too much. I can come close to buying 5 HP 1102w laser jets for that much (still the problems of power, dust, rain, etc). But when we're jabbing NST's in the side with a fork to make then run real android because they cost less than $100 a pop, well.... I wonder how much the HP cost back then? For what it's worth, I tried air printing a screen print of the practiscore summary page for a given competitor's run on a stage. It works, it's nice, but... it's also going to a full-size printer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cellguy030 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 im less concerned with the equipment than the actual ability to print from the right screens. currently if we want to print we have to do a screen capture of the score page and go to the gallery and print from there... there needs to be a print button on this page! as far as printers go... yea we can get decent $100 lasers and my plan was to put them inside some sort of box with a flap on the side to keep dust and crap out and protect from the rain. it would be nice to have a small thermal like the one above but sounds like that might be awhile off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgnoyes Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 im less concerned with the equipment than the actual ability to print from the right screens. currently if we want to print we have to do a screen capture of the score page and go to the gallery and print from there... there needs to be a print button on this page! ... Yep, I agree with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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