After calling HP's help desk, I soon learned (from a very helpful technician who was involved in the Beta testing of the HP 995) that the HP 995 was designed so that the printer driver for only one HP 995 could be installed on a computer at any given time (and that each individual printer creates its own dedicated printer driver). If I wanted to print to my new office 995, I would need to dis-install the printer driver for my home 995! It was not anticipated, according to this technician, that very many consumers would want to use two 995's at the same time from the same computer. (HP, hell-o!)
So, while I can print wirelessly (via either IR or Bluetooth) from my Palm to either of my HP 995 printers, I can only print to one of them from my laptop.
I was very much looking forward to the mobility of working either at home or at my office on my laptop -- and then printing wirelessly in either location (up to 30 feet away) without having to be tethered via cable. As a result of this limitation, my work-around (at least for MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint) is to download the file to my Palm (using Docs To Go) -- and to print the document from my PDA while at work. (This situation is only tenable since my personal laptop and printer are not my primary computing devices in my office.)
I think being able to print to only one HP 995 at-a-time is a huge oversight on HP's part. Wouldn't you agree?
Wireless printing from my laptop is accomplished by installing 3Com's Bluetooth PC card, which plugs in effortlessly (and requires a little software). To print, I need to be within 30 feet of the printer (not necessarily line-of-sight). The printer has a little blue light (with the Bluetooth logo) that blinks when it's receiving a signal. The software also installs a Bluetooth Manager icon on the desktop which, when opened, allows me to easily verify (or refresh) the Bluetooth connection. The Bluetooth signal will also turn on the printer (in case I've forgotten to do so). The printer has a large memory and will save multiple documents, so waiting for the printer to finish before moving on is not required. Bluetooth printing appears to be a little slower than printing directly from the PC (via a USB cable). But the print quality is every bit as good (and just as sharp as on my other HP 990 Cse and HP 1315 Photo Smart printers).
Printing from my Palm is made possible by installing Docs To Print (from ISComplete.com) which transfers data (to the printer) via the Palm's IR (infrared) port. Docs To Print enables me to output information from my Palm's Calendar, Address, Memo and To Do lists. But, more importantly, it allows me to print MS Word documents -- downloaded via Docs To Go (from DataViz) -- which I can compose and modify (word process) on my Palm. Printing to my HP 995 is extremely fast (taking only a few seconds for the data to transfer and for the HP to begin printing); and the print is letter quality. (Docs To Print, incidentally, also includes the print drivers to almost all of the IR printers currently available from HP, Canon and Sipix.)
I actually use my HP 995 as a stand-alone printer (with no PC attached) in my family room. By being able to print wirelessly to it from either my laptop or my Palm, I'm able to tuck it away in a corner of the room (where its not easily seen); and (here's the fun part) I'm able to sit in my favorite chair (and work) without having to be tethered (via cables) to the printer in order to print. Hallelujah!
Can a printer provide both freedom and mobility? I'm not sure, but the HP 995 sure comes close!
Until recently, the HP 995c had a software weakness which prevented more than one print driver from being installed on a given laptop - at any one time! (Unbelievable, isn't it?) This precluded me from printing wirelessly to the two 995c's I have - one each in my home and in my office - somewhat defeating the purpose of the unit's wireless capabilities.
I recently discovered, though, that HP has issued new printer drivers (and new printer firmware) for the 995c -- that is available on HP.com -- that fixes this limitation. For the very first time, I can now print wirelessly to both of my HP 995c's from the same PC! Hooray!
In case you're interested, here's how I use my two 995c's: - First, in my home (in the family room), unattached to any PC. My daughter prints out her homework from her AlphaSmart Dana. And I print out my e-mails and various web pages - while I sit in my favorite chair and watch TV from across the room!
- Second, in my office as a personal desktop ink jet printer - as a replacement for my company's networked laser printers which, due to their remote locations, are just a pain to use. The 995c is hard-wired to my laptop's docking station. But since I've also installed a 3Com Bluetooth PC Card in the laptop itself, I really don't need to dock in order to print, which makes working remotely in and around my office that much more convenient. I've also loaded BtPrint (from ISComplete.com) into my Palm 515m, which allows me to print Calendar, Address, Memo and To Do list entries, as well as MS Word documents from DataViz's Docs To Go. So, needing to dock, or upload information from my Palm to my PC, in order to print - is simply a thing of the past!
Unfortunately, since HP has decided not to install either Bluetooth or infrared capabilities into their newest generation of printers (except the HP Deskjet 450cbi), the 995c remains one of the best all-around choices for printing wirelessly via either Bluetooth or IR -- from PC's, Palms and Pocket PC-style devices. If wireless printing is something you'd like to enjoy - without having to undertake the expense of establishing a WiFi network in your home or office - the HP 995c is definitely an easier way to go! I now love my two 995c's - even more than I did before!